Structurae

Starting from standard definitions of structural safety in combination with the hypothesis of damage-caused evolution of safety margins, the global tangential stiffness matrix KT or K(t) is recognized as the most suitable assemblage of structural damage information. Then for computer simulations, the damage description in the constitutive relations and its transformation up to the resistance R on structural level is described. It follows the definition of modern damage indicators Di from KT or K(t) by superposed small vibrations, which due to definition of structural failure det KT = 0 can completely accompany a structure’s life. Finally the described concept is explained by hand of three examples, and extended to problems of structural life-duration and residual life-time.