The sensitivity of identified modal parameters to sensor placement errors and construction tolerances

This paper examines the sensitivity of experimentally measured modal frequencies and mode shapes to structural reassembly and sensor placement errors on a suspended three-bay truss. The statistical variations of identified mode shapes and frequencies are measured by repeated experiments. Both parameters are shown to vary measurably more with reassembly than sensor placement errors. Also, a directional stiffness in the truss joints was found to cause a parameter dependence on member orientation during reconstruction.