A non-destructive time domain approach to examine structural damage using parameterized partial differential equations and Galerkin approximation techniques is presented. The time domain analysis for damage detection is independent of modal parameters and analytical models unlike frequency domain methods which generally rely on analytical models. The time history of the vibration response of the structure was used to identify the presence of damage. Damage in a structure causes changes in the physical coefficients of mass density, elastic modulus and damping coefficients. This is a part of our ongoing effort on the general problem of modeling and parameter estimation for internal damping mechanisms in a composite beam. Namely, in detecting damage through time-domain or frequency-domain data from smart sensors, the common damages are changed in modal properties such as natural frequencies, mode shapes, and mode shape curvature. This paper examines the use of beam-like structures with piezoceramic sensors and actuators to perform identification of those physical parameters, and detect the damage. Experimental results are presented from tests on cantilevered composite beams damaged at different locations and different dimensions. It is demonstrated that the method can sense the presence of damage and obtain the position of a damage.
