| Abstract: | This paper evaluates a class of practical optimization techniques for parameter identification of realistic structural dynamic systems. The techniques involve quasi-Newton methods together with an efficient procedure for estimating complicated error functions. The optimization procedures are verified through their application to several representative examples, including finite-element models of realistic structural systems. Extensive numerical and graphical results demonstrate the effects of various optimization algorithm parameters on the rate of convergence of the objective function, the parameter vector error norm and the gradient norm. Guidelines are presented as an aid for addressing several significant issues in the practical application of structural dynamics optimization procedures, such as sensitivity problems, uniqueness, initial value definition for the parameter vector, convergence rates, constraints, the effect of alternative cost function definitions, accuracy of alternative gradient evaluation procedures, alternative procedures for estimating the inverse of the Hessian matrix and the use of a quadratic approximation of the objective function. |
