Structural System Identification in the Time Domain using Evolutionary and Behaviorally Inspired Algorithms and their Hybrids

In this study, parametric identification of structural properties such as stiffness and damping is carried out using acceleration responses in the time domain. The process consists of minimizing the difference between the experimentally measured and theoretically predicted acceleration responses. The unknown parameters of certain numerical models, viz., a ten degree of freedom lumped mass system, a nine member truss and a non-uniform simply supported beam are thus identified. Evolutionary and behaviorally inspired optimization algorithms are used for minimization operations. The performance of their hybrid combinations is also investigated. Genetic Algorithm (GA) is a well known evolutionary algorithm used in system identification. Recently Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), a behaviorally inspired algorithm, has emerged as a strong contender to GA in speed and accuracy. The discrete Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) method is yet another behaviorally inspired method studied here. The performance (speed and accuracy) of each algorithm alone and in their hybrid combinations such as GA with PSO, ACO with PSO and ACO with GA are extensively investigated using the numerical examples with effects of noise added for realism. The GA+PSO hybrid algorithm was found to give the best performance in speed and accuracy compared to all others. The next best in performance was pure PSO followed by pure GA. ACO performed poorly in all the cases.