Experimental Mechanics

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-018-0396-1

Inverse Identification of Composite Material Properties by using

a Two-Stage Fourier Method
J.H. Tam 1 & Z.C. Ong 1 & Z. Ismail 2 & B.C. Ang 3 & S.Y. Khoo 1

Received: 6 September 2017 / Accepted: 16 April 2018

# Society for Experimental Mechanics 2018

Abstract
This study presents a feasible identification method for composite materials that adopts the combined use of the Fourier method, a
weighted least squares method and the mode shape error function. The deflection shape function of the plate structure is defined
in terms of 2D Fourier cosine series which is supplemented with several one-dimensional additional terms to accommodate
general boundary conditions. The derivatives of mode shape with respect to the flexural rigidity are derived and computed from
the model’s displacement function. A difference exists in the means of obtaining the mode shape derivatives between the present
approach and the commonly used finite element model updating method. This research proposes a two-stage identification
approach, in which the natural frequency error function is utilised in stage 1. In stage 2, the mode shape error function is used,
which is proven vital in improving the accuracy of the in-plane shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio by at most 13%.

Keywords Composites . Fourier method . Material properties . Mode shapes . Nondestructive evaluation

Introduction Combined experimental and numerical technique has been

Composites can be referred to as hybrid materials that are
composed of at least two constituents at a macroscopic scale.
They are manufactured in layers of laminates, and each layer
is arranged in a specific orientation. Composite materials have
been actively used in the past decades due to their excellent
physical and chemical properties, e.g. lightweight property,
high corrosion resistance and high strength. Consequently,
the production of composite materials is potentially increasing
and inciting the advent of composite material identification
methods. Classical identification methods, e.g. tensile tests
and compressive tests, are destructive, time-consuming and
expensive. Therefore, a number of nondestructive identifica-
tion approaches have been developed to circumvent these
drawbacks.
* Z. C. Ong
zhichao83@gmail.com; alexongzc@um.edu.my
1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2
Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University
of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
3
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
the constant primary choice in material identification because
of its nondestructive nature, promising accuracy and cost- and
time-saving advantages. This technique involves experimen-
tal measurement and numerical evaluation. Unlike classical
destructive tests, the combined method requires only a single
test to determine the elastic properties of a composite material.
Experimental modal analysis (EMA) is conducted to acquire
the modal parameters of a structure that define its dynamic
behaviours. These modal parameters, i.e. resonant frequen-
cies, mode shapes and modal damping, are subsequently used
as the reference parameters in numerical evaluation to deter-
mine the structure’s elastic properties. Numerical evaluation
involves the use of a forward method and an inverse method,
as well as the definition of an objective function. To develop a
reliable identification approach, the credibility of the forward
and inverse methods must be well preserved, and the objective
function must be well defined [1]. Rayleigh’s method [2–4],
Rayleigh–Ritz [5–9] method and the finite element (FE) meth-
od [10–21] are amongst the well-known forward methods
used to study the dynamic behaviour of structures. The ease
of implementation contributes to the prevalent use of
Rayleigh’s method in previous years; however, the disadvan-
tages of this approach are its fair accuracy and limited evalu-
ation of only the lowest or the first fundamental frequency.
Thus, the Rayleigh–Ritz method has been developed to over-
come such drawbacks. Nevertheless, the difficulty in selecting

suitable deflection functions for particular problems and the
limitation to the variation of boundary conditions result in the
development of the FE method. Numerous approximate nu-
merical methods, such as the differential quadrature method
[22–24], modified spline functions method [25–27], modified
Galerkin method [28, 29] and superposition method, have also
been introduced [30, 31]. Computational complications are
found in most of the existing algorithms when dealing with
general elastic boundary conditions, thereby inspiring the de-
velopment of the Fourier method [32]. This method is proven
applicable to problems under general boundary conditions,
and it can provide accurate solutions. In the following years,
Khov and teammates [33] developed an accurate Fourier-
based approach to study the behaviour of orthotropic plates,
which are subjected to several boundary configurations under
static and dynamic circumstances.
Developing an identification method on the basis of these
forward methods has become a common trend for decades,
and the use of FE-based identification method in material
identification has been a prevalent option due to its simple
and flexible implementation. Nonetheless, in terms of accura-
cy, the forward Fourier method is the preferred method be-
cause of its analytical quality and solution accuracy.
Developing a feasible identification methods based on the
forward Fourier method is challenging on account of their
infinite and complex natures. Nevertheless, Ismail et al. [34]
successfully developed an identification method involving the
derivations of the Fourier method and Newton–Raphson
method to determine the elastic constants of an orthotropic
plate under general boundary conditions. In the study, the
discrepancy between the reference and evaluated natural fre-
quencies is used to define the objective function in construct-
ing the identification method. The approach is robust to gen-
eral boundary conditions, and the process is simple.
Nonetheless, this approach mainly suffers from the difficulty
in determining the in-plane shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio
with considerable accuracy. The sensitivity of natural frequen-
cies with respect to both properties (especially Poisson’s ratio)
is relatively low which yields less accurate results.
Alternatively, these issues can be overcome in several ways.
The plate geometric parameters, e.g. aspect ratio, orthotropy
angles and thickness, can be adjusted to improve the sensitiv-
ity of the Poisson’s ratio with respect to natural frequencies, as
proven in [35, 36]. Furthermore, the drawback can be ad-
dressed by including an increased quantity of resonant fre-
quencies during computation, as discussed in [37]. Instead
of using only natural frequencies, Cugnoni and colleagues
[38] proposed the use of a global error norm which is com-
posed of the natural frequency error norm, diagonal modal
assurance criteria (MAC) error norm, off-diagonal MAC error
norm, mode shape error norm and nodal line error norm, to
characterise the material properties of thick composite plates.
The derivative of each error norm with respect to the
Exp Mech
parameters was calculated precisely and involved in the iden-
tification process. The results showed that the accuracy of the
estimated Poisson’s ratio is improved. Matter and colleagues
[39] proposed a two-step optimisation approach to determine
the material properties of multilayered plates. Two different
strategies were proposed to improve the convergence rate and
maintain the accuracy. The first strategy involves a two-step
separate identification, in which two sets of parameters are
identified in two independent optimisation steps. The second
strategy involves a two-step improved identification; in step 1,
an approximate identification is carried out, and a highly en-
hanced identification under many constrained conditions is
performed in step 2. The strategies are effective in improving
the accuracy of the estimated parameters, especially the
Poisson’s ratio, and the computation rate by 50% compared
with that of one-step identification. Mishra and Chakraborty
[40] defined a weighted cost function in terms of resonant
frequencies and mode shapes discrepancies to identify the
elastic constants of composite plates with rotational flexibility
at boundaries. Notably, only a few modes are needed to deter-
mine effectively the elastic properties and boundary stiffness
parameters of the plates when natural frequencies and mode
shapes are included in the evaluation.
Literature indicated that the use of FE-based identification
method is common, and the incorporated use of natural fre-
quencies and mode shapes is effective in improving the
identifiability of the in-plane shear modulus and Poisson’s
ratio. Hence, in the present research, a new reliable approach
is proposed to address these issues in a more analytical man-
ner; the method involves the Fourier method, a weighted least
squares method and the mode shape error function. In most of
the identification approaches, the objective function is defined
by a weighted composition of resonant frequencies and mode
shapes discrepancies. In the present study, a separate defini-
tion of the objective function for natural frequencies and mode
shapes discrepancies is proposed to simplify the complex der-
ivation, and a two-stage approach is adopted. In stage 1, the
method developed by Ismail et al. [34] is used to determine the
in-plane elastic moduli, in-plane shear modulus and major
Poisson’s ratio. In stage 2, the proposed method involving
the use of the mode shape error function is used to update
the in-plane shear modulus and major Poisson’s ratio.
Overall, this paper mainly aims to develop a two-stage iden-
tification method for composite materials by using the Fourier
method, a weighted least squares method and the mode shape
error function to improve the accuracy of the in-plane shear
modulus and Poisson’s ratio specifically.
Model Development
Identification of elastic constants involves the forward and
inverse methods. In general, a forward method can be referred
Exp Mech
to as a virtual plate model used for vibration analysis, in which
elastic properties are used as the input parameters of the model
to evaluate the natural frequencies and mode shapes. In this
paper, an analytical plate model derived by Khov et al. [33] is
used as the forward plate model. Conversely, an inverse meth-
od can be regarded as an algorithm that is used to derive an
inverse form of the plate model and consequently determine
the elastic properties inversely by minimising the error differ-
ence between the evaluated and reference natural frequencies
and/or mode shapes. A two-stage approach is also proposed,
in which stage 1 involves the use of the natural frequency error
function, as presented in previous research [34]; stage 2 uti-
lises the mode shape error function to improve the accuracy of
the in-plane shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio specifically.
The derivations of the algorithms are presented as follows.
Forward Problem
Equation (1) describes the motion of a thin orthotropic plate
without considering the information regarding the transverse
shear deformation and rotary inertia [33]. A relationship be-
tween the flexural rigidities (Dij) and the plate’s deflection
displacement (W(x, y)) is established.
∂4 W ∂4 W ∂4 W
D11 þ 4D16 3 þ 2ðD12 þ 2D66 Þ 2 2
∂x 4
∂x ∂y ∂x ∂y
∂4 W ∂4 W
þ 4D26 þ D22 −ρhω2 W ðx; yÞ
∂x∂y2 ∂y4
¼ qðω; x; yÞ ð1Þ
where ρ is the density of the plate, and ω is the frequency of
the harmonic motion expressed in rad/s. With the use of this
ω
relationship where 2π ¼ f , the unit rad/s can be converted to
−1
Hz or s . The displacement function W(x, y) is defined in a
highly robust form of Fourier series expansion with several
supplemental terms included to accommodate various bound-
ary conditions, as demonstrated in Equation (2) [33].
W ðx; yÞ ¼ ∑∞m¼0 ∑∞n¼0 Amn cosðλam xÞcosðλbn yÞ
þ ∑4l¼1 ðξlb ðyÞ∑∞m¼0 clm cosðλam xÞ ð2Þ
þ ξla ðxÞ∑∞m¼0 d lm cosðλbn yÞÞ
4 ∞ ∞ benchmark natural frequencies and mode shapes. Hence, the
where ∑ ðξlb ðyÞ ∑ clm cosðλam xÞ þξla ðxÞ ∑ d lm cosðλbn yÞÞ
l¼1 m¼0 m¼0
are the supplemental terms responsible to define the deflection
shape of the plate under general boundary conditions correctly.
A system equation can be derived by substituting Equation (2)
into Equation (1) and rearranging the result into Equation (3).


D11 λ4am þ D22 λ4bn þ 2ðD12 þ 2D66 Þλ2am λ2bn Amn
 
l ¼
þ ∑4l¼1 D11 βln λ4am −2ðD12 þ 2D66 Þλ2am βn þ D22 β ln clm
 l
þ ∑4l¼1 D11 αlm λ4bn −2ðD12 þ 2D66 Þλ2bn αm
   
¼l
þ D22 αm d n −ρhω Amn þ ∑l¼1 β n cm þ αm d n
l 2 4 l l l l
¼ qmn
ð3Þ
In matrix form, the equation can be represented as in
Equation (4):
   
~ þ BP −ρhω2 MA
KA ~ þ FP ¼ q ð4Þ
The natural frequencies and mode shapes of an orthotropic
plate can be subsequently obtained by solving a standard ma-
trix characteristic in Equation (5) with q = 0; in this equation,
the eigenvector A for a given eigenvalue contains the Fourier
coefficients for the corresponding mode shapes. Notably, in
the FE method, the natural frequencies and mode shapes of a
structure can be simply obtained by evaluating the eigen-
values and eigenvectors, respectively. However, in the case
of the Fourier method, the evaluated eigenvectors do not di-
rectly represent the identified mode shapes of a structure; in-
stead, these eigenvectors are defined as Fourier coefficients
that are used to evaluate mode shapes. With the use of the
boundary condition equations, HP = QA, as discussed in
[33], Equation (4) can be written in the following form:


K−ρhω2 M A ¼ q ð5Þ
where the stiffness matrix K ¼ K ~ þ BH−1 Q and the mass
matrix M ¼ M ~ þ FH−1 Q. The ρhω2 can be referred to as
the eigenvalue, and A can be referred to as the eigenvector.
The detailed derivations of the forward method (Fourier meth-
od) in determining the dynamic parameters of a structure can
be found in [33].
Inverse Problem
Material identification begins with the definition of an objec-
tive function to determine the elastic properties that constitute
the natural frequencies and mode shapes that are close to the
objective function can be defined by the discrepancy between
the experimental and evaluated natural frequencies or mode
shapes. In real life cases, the presence of uncertainty is inev-
itable. Thus, regularisation is needed to control the changes in
elastic properties. In the present study, a weighted least
squares method is used to derive the identification approach.
 Exp Mech

Natural frequencies derivative of mass matrix with respect to elastic properties,

∂K
and ∂Pr j
is the derivative of stiffness matrix with respect to
In stage 1, the natural frequency error function is utilised, and elastic properties.
the identification procedures are obtained from literature, with
the inclusion of regularisation parameter to control the effects Mode shapes
induced by experimental uncertainties [41]. The overall objec-
tive function in stage 1 is defined as follows: In stage 2, the mode shape error function is used, and the
overall objective function in stage 2 is slightly different from
J ¼ ϵT Wϵ ϵ þ ϑΔPrT Wx ΔPr ð6Þ
that of stage 1 as defined below:
where ϵ is the difference between the measured and evaluated
J ¼ ϵT Wϵ ϵ þ ΔPrT μWx ΔPr ð13Þ
eigenvalues, ΔPr is the change in flexural rigidities, Wϵ and
Wx are the weighting matrices that define the importance of ϵ
By minimising the objective function J, the solution is
and ΔPr, respectively, and ϑ is a scalar parameter that is
computed as follows:
known as the regularisation parameter that controls the influ-
ence of the first term (residual norm) and second term (stiff-
ΔPr ¼ ½SWϵ S þ μWx −1 SWϵ ϵ ð14Þ
ness change norm) of the objective function. This
regularisation parameter ranges from 0 to 0.3, depending on
In stage 2, the mode shape error function is used, and the
the suitability of respective applications. By minimising the
difference between the measured and evaluated mode shapes
objective function J, the solution can be computed as follows:
is written as follows:
ΔPr ¼ ½SWϵ S þ ϑWx −1 SWϵ ϵ ð7Þ
ϵ ¼ ½φm −φa  ð15Þ
Let ℵm ¼ ρhω2m ¼ ρhð2π f m Þ 2 be the measured eigenval-
where φm is the measured mode shapes, and φa is the
ue, and ℵa ¼ ρhω2a ¼ ρhð2π f a Þ 2 be the evaluated eigenval-
evaluated mode shapes. Additionally, ΔPr is the change
ue. Hence, the discrepancy between measured and evaluated
in flexural rigidities, Wϵ and Wx are the weighting ma-
eigenvalues is defined as follows:
trices that define the importance of ϵ and ΔPr, respec-
ϵ ¼ ½ℵm −ℵa  ð8Þ tively, and μ, in this case, is the diagonal matrix of
regularisation parameters controlling the influence of
where ρ is the density, h is the thickness, fm is the measured the first term (residual norm) and second term (stiffness
natural frequency, and fm is the evaluated natural frequencies. change norm) of the objective function. The difference
The weighting matrices can be defined as follows: between ϑ and μ is that in stage 2, the regularisation
parameters for each flexural rigidity can be selectively
Wϵ ¼ ½diagðℵm Þ−2 ð9Þ
defined. Similarly, this regularisation parameter ranges
meanðdiagðγÞÞ −1  from 0 to 0.3, depending on the suitability of respective
Wx ¼ −1
γ ; γ ¼ diag ST Wϵ S ð10Þ applications. The weighting matrices can be defined as
meanðdiagðγ ÞÞ
follows:
where S is the sensitivity matrix that defines the derivative of
evaluated eigenvalues with respect to flexural rigidities. These Wϵ ¼ ½diagðφm Þ−2 ð16Þ
derivatives are obtained through the differentiation of un- 
meanðdiagðγÞÞ −1
damped eigenvalue equation, as demonstrated in Equation Wx ¼ γ ; γ ¼ diag ST Wϵ S ð17Þ
meanðdiagðγ ÞÞ
−1
(11).
  where S is the sensitivity matrix that defines the derivative of
∂ℵia ∂M ∂K
S ij ¼ ¼ ATia −ℵia þ Aia ð11Þ evaluated mode shapes with respect to flexural rigidities. The
∂Pr j ∂Pr j ∂Pr j
computation of these derivatives is relatively different from
2 3 that of the commonly used FE updating method. The deriva-
∂ℵ1 ∂ℵ1
6 ∂Pr1 ⋯ 7 tions are as follows.
6 ∂PrN 7
S¼6 ⋮ ⋱ ⋮ 7 ð12Þ The mode shape of a plate at a particular mode can be
4 ∂ℵM ∂ℵM 5
⋯ obtained using Equation (2) by inserting the correspond-
∂Pr1 ∂PrN ing evaluated eigenvectors and supplemental terms into
the equation. The number of nodes can be defined arbi-
where ℵia is the evaluated eigenvalue, Aia is the corresponding trarily by defining the coordinates (x, y). Given that mode
∂M
eigenvector containing Fourier coefficients, ∂Pr j
is the shapes are obtained from Equation (2), the derivatives of
Exp Mech

the mode shapes can also be obtained through the differ- respectively, the derivatives of K and M can be obtained
entiation of Equation (2), as demonstrated below. as follows:

∂W ðx; yÞ ∞ ∞ ∂ðcosðλam xÞcosðλbn yÞÞÞ ∂K ~

∂K ∂B −1 ∂H−1 ∂Q
¼ ∑ ∑ ðAmn ¼ þ H QþB Q þ BH−1 ð24Þ
∂Pr j m¼0 n¼0 ∂Pr j ∂Pr j ∂Pr j ∂Pr j ∂Pr j ∂Pr j
∂Amn ∂M ~
∂M ∂ F −1 ∂H−1 ∂Q
þ ðcosðλam xÞcosðλbn yÞÞÞ Þ ð18Þ ¼ þ H Qþ F Q þ FH−1 ð25Þ
∂Pr j   ∂Pr j ∂Pr j ∂Pr j ∂Pr j ∂Pr j
4 ∞ ∂cosðλam xÞ l
∂c
þ ∑ ðξlb ðyÞ ∑ clm þ m cosðλam xÞ
l¼1 m¼0 ∂Pr j ∂Pr j 
∞ ∂cosðλbn yÞ ∂d lm In Equations (24 and 25),
þ ξla ðxÞ ∑ d lm þ cosðλbn yÞ
m¼0 ∂Pr j ∂Pr j
∂M~
¼0 ð26Þ
∂Pr j
  ∂F
∂W ðx; yÞ ∞ ∞ ∂Amn ¼0 ð27Þ
¼ ∑ ∑ 0þ ðcosðλam xÞcosðλbn yÞÞ ∂Pr j
∂Pr j m¼0 n¼0 ∂Pr j
 
4 ∞ ∂clm With the use of H−1H = I, we can obtain the following
þ ∑ ðξb ðyÞ ∑ 0 þ
l
cosðλam xÞ ð19Þ equation:
l¼1 m¼0 ∂Pr j 
∞ ∂d l
þ ξla ðxÞ ∑ 0 þ m cosðλbn yÞ Þ ∂H−1 ∂H −1
m¼0 ∂Pr j ¼ −H−1 H ð28Þ
∂Pr j ∂Pr j

∂cl
  Furthermore, the derivatives of supplemental terms ∂Prmj and
∂W ðx; yÞ ∞ ∞ ∂Amn
¼ ∑ ∑ ðcosðλam xÞcosðλbn yÞÞ ∂d ln
∂Pr j m¼0 n¼0 ∂Pr j ∂Pr j can be obtained from the following derivations:
 l 
4 ∞ ∂cm HP ¼ QA ð29Þ
þ ∑ ðξlb ðyÞ ∑ cosðλam xÞ ð20Þ
l¼1 m¼0 ∂Pr j
 
∞ ∂d lm P ¼ H−1 QA ð30Þ
þ ξa ðxÞ ∑
l
cosðλbn yÞ Þ
m¼0 ∂Pr j
∂P ∂H−1 ∂Q ∂A
¼ QA þ H−1 A þ H−1 Q ð31Þ
∂Pr j ∂Pr j ∂Pr j ∂Pr j
The eigenvector derivatives can be easily obtained by using
the method suggested by Fox and Kapoor [42]. The deriva- 
where P ¼ c10 ; c11 ; …; clm ; d 10 ; d 11 ; …d ln , A = [A 1 , …, A M ],
tions are presented as follows: and H and Q are the coefficient matrices. Detailed explanation
for these terms can be found in [33]. In thorough view of these
δAi N
¼ ∑ aik Ak ; Ai ¼ ½A00 ; A10 ; …; Amn Ti ; i formulations, in the FE method, the natural frequencies and
δPr j k¼1
mode shapes of a structure can be simply obtained by evalu-
¼ 1; 2; …; M ð21Þ ating the eigenvalues and eigenvectors, respectively.
However, in the case of the Fourier method, the evaluated
1 δM eigenvectors do not directly represent the identified mode
if i ¼ k; aik ¼ − ATi Ai ð22Þ
2 δPr j shapes of a structure; instead, these eigenvectors represent
double Fourier series coefficients (Amn) that are used to com-
δK δM pute mode shapes. Discernible differences can be found in the
ATi Ai −λi ATi Ai
δPr j δPr j derivations of the proposed inverse method, in which the
if i≠k; aik ¼ ð23Þ
λi −λk existing FE-based inverse methods are more straightforward.

where Ai denotes ith eigenvector, xj indicates jth parameter and
λi represents ith eigenvalue. Moreover, the derivatives of
the stiffness matrix and the mass matrix are involved in
the formulations of the eigenvector derivatives, as shown
in Equations (21, 22 and 23). Therefore, according to the
forward formulations of stiffness matrix and mass matrix
defined as K ¼ K ~ þ BH−1 Q a n d M ¼ M ~ þ FH−1 Q,
Termination criteria
In the present study, three termination criteria, namely, the
maximum number of iterations, the minimum improvement
percentage and the minimum value of convergence, are de-
fined. The updating process is terminated when either of the
criteria is satisfied. The convergence value is referred to as
 Exp Mech

Table 1 Dimensions and materials properties of reference plates

Boundary condition a, b (cm) H (mm) ρ (gcm−3) Ex (GPa) Ey (GPa) Gxy (GPa) vxy vyx

Aluminium
F-F-F-F
C-F-F-F 25.4 3.160 2.770 72.4 72.4 28.0 0.33 0.33
C-C-F-C
Initial values 55.0 55.0 15.0 0.30 –
Graphite epoxy
F-F-F-F 1.483
C-F-F-F 25.4 1.688 1.584 127.9 10.27 7.312 0.22 0.0177
C-C-F-C 1.379
Initial values 110.0 9.0 6.0 0.20 –

correlation coefficients which can be defined by the errors of aluminium plate and graphite epoxy plate) and experimental
the selected response. In stage 1, the convergence value is plates (i.e. acrylonitrile–butadine–styrene (ABS) plate and al-
defined by the weighted absolute relative difference uminium composite panel (ACP)). Notably, reference studies
(CCABS) between the evaluated and reference natural fre- are conducted to investigate the relationship between the in-
quencies, as demonstrated in Equation (32): volved modal parameters (i.e. natural frequencies and mode


shapes) and the elastic properties (i.e. elastic moduli, in-plane
1 N
f −f

CCABS ¼ ∑i¼1 C Ri
mi ai
ð32Þ shear modulus and major Poisson’s ratio) and assess the fea-
N f mi sibility of the proposed two-stage Fourier-based approach un-
der ideal conditions, where uncertainties are presumably ab-
where f mi and f ai are the measured and evaluated natural sent. Experimental studies are subsequently conducted to in-
frequencies of mode i, and C Ri is the weightage. In stage 2, vestigate the effects of uncertainties and the ability of the
the convergence value is defined by the absolute relative dif- proposed two-stage approach to manage uncertainties.
ference between the measured and evaluated modal displace- As shown in Table 1, the dimensions and material proper-
ments (CCMDISP), as described in Equation (33): ties of the aluminium plate and graphite epoxy plate are ob-

tained from the research performed by Deobald and Gibson
1
φ mij −φ aij
[43]. Prior to the identification process, these dimensions and
CCMDISP ¼ ∑ ∑
N M
ð33Þ
N ∙M i¼1 j¼1 φmij material properties are initially used to generate the bench-
mark natural frequencies and mode shapes from the forward
where φmij and φaij are the measured and evaluated modal Fourier method developed by Khov et al. [33] for the follow-
displacements of node j of mode i. ing uses in the identification process. Three different sets of
boundary conditions (i.e. F-F-F-F, C-F-F-F, C-C-F-C, where
F: free; C: clamp) for each material are investigated.
In experimental studies, the dimensions and material prop-
Methodology erties of the ABS plate and ACP are measured and obtained
from destructive static test and theoretical calculation, respec-
The proposed identification approach is evaluated and verified tively (Table 2). The modal parameters of these plates are
using reference plates retrieved from the literature (i.e. acquired via EMA, and the measured modal parameters are

Table 2 Dimensions and material properties of experimental plates

Specimens a, b (cm) H (mm) ρ (gcm−3) Ex (GPa) Ey (GPa) Gxy (GPa) vxy vyx

ABS
Static test 30.0 3.0000 1.0750 2.3782 2.3050 0.8763 0.3370 –
Initial values 2.9000 2.9000 1.0500 0.3000 –
ACP
Calculation 30.0 3.0000 1.5200 10.3097 10.3097 3.8465 0.3656 –
Initial values 12.0000 11.0000 3.5000 0.2800 –
Exp Mech
Fig. 1 Experimental set-up of the
ABS plate
subsequently used as the correlation parameters in the identi-
fication process. The experimental set-up is demonstrated in
Figs. 1 and 2. An impact hammer is used to strike the plate,
and the response is measured by a mounted accelerometer
which is connected to a data acquisition system. The acceler-
ometer is fixed at a particular point, and the impact hammer is
roved from point 1 to point 25. Five knocks are placed on each
point, and the average response is recorded. The collected data
are processed to obtain the plate’s experimental natural fre-
quencies and mode shapes which are used in the identification
process. In accordance with [37], semielastic strings are at-
tached at two diagonal corner edges of the plate to simulate
F-F-F-F boundary condition, as shown in Fig. 3. According to
Fig. 2 Experimental set-up of the
ACP
the plate dimensions, grids (5 × 5) are defined, and 25 points
of nodes are present in each plate, where the distance between
adjacent points is 75 mm.
The number of accelerometer will exert no substantial ef-
fect on the quality of the mode shapes, but the acquisition
process will be expedited when additional accelerometers
are used. Instead of the number of accelerometer, the key
factors affecting the quality of the captured mode shapes are
the grid definition and the accelerometer position (if only one
accelerometer is used). The grid should be well defined,
such that high modes can be clearly and distinctively cap-
tured. In this study, only one accelerometer is used to re-
duce the mass loading effect that can affect the overall
 Exp Mech

Fig. 3 Schematic of the plate

under F-F-F-F boundary
condition

response. The accelerometer position is important and it
should be fixed at appropriate positions (when using only
one accelerometer) to capture the target modes completely.
In this study, the first five modes are the target modes.
Notably, to capture the target modes effectively, the accel-
erometer should be fixed at a position that lies in the high
response region of the corresponding modes. In this study,
to capture modes 1, 3 and 4, the accelerometer is fixed at
point 1, while points 3 and 15 are one of the critical posi-
tions for capturing modes 2 and 5, respectively. These se-
lected points are located at the high response regions of
corresponding modes.

Table 3 Identification results of the aluminium plate under three different sets of boundary conditions

Ref. Stage 1 Natural frequencies Stage 2 Mode shapes Difference (%)

Initial Updated Error (%) Initial Updated Error (%)

FFFF
Ex (GPa) 72.4 55 72.1630 0.3273 72.1630 72.1630 0.3273 0
Ey (GPa) 72.4 55 72.0349 0.5043 72.0349 72.0349 0.5043 0
Gxy (GPa) 28 15 27.7922 0.7421 27.7922 27.7571 0.8675 −0.1254
vxy 0.33 0.3 0.2999 9.1212 0.2999 0.3179 3.6667 5.4545
CFFF
Ex (GPa) 72.4 55 72.6179 0.3010 72.6179 72.6179 0.3010 0
Ey (GPa) 72.4 55 72.5016 0.1403 72.5016 72.5016 0.1403 0
Gxy (GPa) 28 15 27.9399 0.2146 27.9399 27.9364 0.2271 −0.0125
vxy 0.33 0.3 0.2997 9.1818 0.2997 0.3147 4.6364 4.5454
CCFC
Ex (GPa) 72.4 55 73.8295 1.9745 73.8295 73.8295 1.9745 0
Ey (GPa) 72.4 55 73.4772 1.4878 73.4772 73.4772 1.4878 0
Gxy (GPa) 28 15 28.3556 1.2700 28.3556 28.3763 1.3439 −0.0739
vxy 0.33 0.3 0.3009 8.8182 0.3009 0.3139 4.8788 3.9394
Exp Mech

Table 4 Percentage change in the Poisson’s ratio of the aluminium plate before and after updating

B. C. Stage 1 Natural frequencies Stage 2 Mode shapes Difference (%)

Initial Updated Change (%) Initial Updated Change (%)

FFFF 0.3 0.2999 0.0333 0.2999 0.3179 6.0020 −5.9687

CFFF 0.3 0.2997 0.1000 0.2997 0.3147 4.7664 −4.4667
CCFC 0.3 0.3009 0.3000 0.3009 0.3139 4.3204 −4.0204

Table 5 Identification results of the graphite epoxy plate under three different sets of boundary conditions

Ref. Stage 1 Natural frequencies Stage 2 Mode shapes Difference (%)

Initial Updated Error (%) Initial Updated Error (%)

FFFF
Ex (GPa) 127.9 110 127.8279 0.0564 127.8279 127.8279 0.0564 0
Ey (GPa) 10.27 9 10.4585 1.8354 10.4585 10.4585 1.8354 0
Gxy (GPa) 7.312 6 6.9724 4.6444 6.9724 7.1783 1.8285 2.8159
vxy 0.22 0.2 0.2000 9.0909 0.2000 0.2058 6.4545 2.6364
CFFF
Ex (GPa) 127.9 110 128.2560 0.2783 128.2560 128.2560 0.2783 0
Ey (GPa) 10.27 9 10.5074 2.3116 10.5074 10.5074 2.3116 0
Gxy (GPa) 7.312 6 7.0010 4.2533 7.0010 7.2256 1.1816 3.0717
vxy 0.22 0.2 0.2015 8.4091 0.2015 0.2067 6.0455 2.3636
CCFC
Ex (GPa) 127.9 110 127.4364 0.3625 127.4364 127.4364 0.3625 0
Ey (GPa) 10.27 9 10.2500 0.1947 10.2500 10.2500 0.1947 0
Gxy (GPa) 7.312 6 7.1158 2.6833 7.1158 7.2189 1.2732 1.4101
vxy 0.22 0.2 0.2030 7.7273 0.2030 0.2233 1.5000 6.2273

The objective function of most identification approaches is
defined by a weighted combination of natural frequencies and
mode shapes discrepancies. In the present paper, the proposed
separate definition of the objective function for natural fre-
quencies and mode shapes discrepancies is proposed to sim-
plify the complex derivation. To initiate the identification ap-
proach, the initial values of the material properties are
assigned, as shown in Table 1 and Table 2. This research
involves two stages; in stage 1, the natural frequencies deter-
mined from the forward Fourier method are used to update the
elastic properties. In stage 2, the mode shapes determined
from the forward Fourier method are used to improve the in-
plane shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio specifically. The rel-
ative errors of parameters in stages 1 and 2 are calculated and
analysed. The updating procedures are described as follows.
Stage 1
The updating procedures are similar to those explained by
Ismail et al. [34]. A slight difference exists in the procedures
between the reference and the experimental studies. In refer-
ence studies, regularisation can be omitted because

Table 6 Percentage change in the in-plane shear modulus of the graphite epoxy plate before and after updating

B. C. Stage 1 Natural frequencies Stage 2 Mode shapes

Initial Updated Change (%) Initial Updated Change (%) Difference (%)

FFFF 6 6.9724 16.2067 6.9724 7.1783 2.9531 13.2536

CFFF 6 7.0010 16.6833 7.0010 7.2256 3.2081 13.4752
CCFC 6 7.1158 18.5967 7.1158 7.2189 1.4489 17.1478
 Exp Mech

Table 7 Percentage change in the Poisson’s ratio of the graphite epoxy plate before and after updating

B. C. Stage 1 Natural frequencies Stage 2 Mode shapes

Initial Updated Change (%) Initial Updated Change (%) Difference (%)

FFFF 0.2 0.2000 0.0000 0.2000 0.2058 2.9000 −2.9000

CFFF 0.2 0.2015 0.7500 0.2015 0.2067 2.5806 −1.8306
CCFC 0.2 0.2030 1.5000 0.2030 0.2233 9.8522 −8.3522

parameters are introduced individually to each of the design

Table 8 Regularisation parameter of the ABS plate
variables to control the changes in each of the design variables
Regularisation parameter individually. Certainly, the selection of inappropriate
regularisation parameters may cause the proposed method to
Stiffness rigidities Elastic properties Stage 1, ϑ Stage 2, μ
lose its effectiveness. Therefore, in this study, regularisation
D11 Ex 0.0030 0.3000
parameters are selected on the basis of the theoretical relation-
D22 Ey 0.3000
ship between the elastic properties and the optimising param-
D66 Gxy 0.0500
eters (e.g. natural frequencies and mode shapes), as well as the
D12 vxy 0.0500
information obtained from published articles [44, 45]. The
Scaling factor – – 100 results obtained in stage 1 are used as the initial values in stage
2. In reference studies, the in-plane shear modulus and major
Poisson’s ratio can be selectively directed to stage 2 based on
uncertainties are presumably absent and consequently set
the quality of the results obtained in stage 1. In ideal cases, the
equal to zero. On the contrary, in experimental studies, with
in-plane elastic moduli do not undergo stage 2 because of their
consideration of the presence of uncertainties during experi-
sufficiently high accuracy attained in stage 1 to avoid further
mental measurement, regularisation is necessary to accommo-
deterioration. On the contrary, in experimental studies, the four
date the effects of uncertainties. In stage 1, the regularisation
elastic properties are subjected to stage 2, with consideration of
parameter is selected using the conventional L-curve method
the presence of uncertainties that may have provided several
which is based on the graph of stiffness change norm against
gaps for improvement after stage 1. The elastic moduli are
residual norm. The assigned regularisation parameter is
taken into account under the condition that the changes in these
0.0030. The in-plane elastic moduli, in-plane shear modulus
elastic moduli are confined. Changes in the in-plane shear
and major Poisson’s ratio are updated using the first six and
modulus and major Poisson’s ratio are relatively less restricted
five natural frequencies of the reference and experimental
by assigning appropriate regularisation parameters because
plates, respectively.
mode shapes are relatively local and theoretically much related
to both of these properties. In this study, the difference between
Stage 2 the experimental and evaluated mode shapes (ϵ = [φm − φa])
is much smaller than that between the experimental and eval-
The updating procedures are similar to those of stage 1. uated natural frequencies (ϵ = [ℵm − ℵa]). Therefore, a scaling
However, few settings must be configured, and the approach factor is needed to amplify the difference between the experi-
is slightly different from that in stage 1. In stage 1, a mental and evaluated mode shapes in stage 2. The scaling
regularisation parameter is selected on the basis of the graph factor can be defined on the basis of the difference between
of stiffness change norm against residual norm and applied on the experimental and evaluated mode shapes. Scaling can be
all the involved design variables. In stage 2, regularisation performed by multiplying the values involving mode shapes

Table 9 Identification results of the ABS plate under F-F-F-F boundary condition

FFFF Stage 1 Natural frequencies Stage 2 Mode shapes Difference (%)

Static Initial Updated Error (%) Initial Updated Error (%)

Ex (GPa) 2.3782 2.9000 2.6428 11.1261 2.6428 2.6245 10.3566 0.7695

Ey (GPa) 2.3050 2.9000 2.6702 15.8438 2.6702 2.6760 16.0954 −0.2516
Gxy (GPa) 0.8763 1.0500 0.9549 8.9698 0.9549 0.8783 0.2282 8.7416
vxy 0.3370 0.3000 0.3035 9.9407 0.3035 0.3286 2.4926 7.4481
Exp Mech

Table 10 Percentage change in the elastic properties of the ABS plate before and after updating

Stage 1 Natural frequencies Stage 2 Mode shapes Difference (%)

Initial Updated Change (%) Initial Updated Change (%)

Ex (GPa) 2.9000 2.6428 8.8690 2.6428 2.6245 0.6924 8.1766

Ey (GPa) 2.9000 2.6702 7.9241 2.6702 2.6760 0.2172 7.7069
Gxy (GPa) 1.0500 0.9549 9.0571 0.9549 0.8783 8.0218 1.0353
vxy 0.3000 0.3035 1.1667 0.3035 0.3286 8.2702 −7.1035

with a multiple of 10 (e.g. 10, 100, 1000, etc.), depending on Aluminium plate
suitability. The process begins with the selection of the
smallest number (i.e. 10) and increases gradually by multiples The relative errors of the elastic moduli and in-plane
of 10. The scaling is regarded well defined when the maximum shear modulus with respect to reference values in stage
change in the parameters lies within 10% of the parameters 1 are relatively small compared with those of the iden-
determined from the former iteration and when the identifica- tified Poisson’s ratio, as demonstrated in Table 3. The
tion outcome converges to its solution. In addition, an overes- in-plane shear modulus determined in stage 1 is suffi-
timation of the scaling factor will cause severe divergence, ciently good in terms of accuracy, with comparatively
whereas an underestimation will stagnate the updating process. low relative errors due to issues related to material isot-
Hence, the appropriate scaling factor should be selected. ropy. In ideal cases, the reference aluminium plate is
assumed purely isotropic. Therefore, in this study, stage
1 is considered sufficient for identifying the in-plane
shear modulus. In stage 2, the relative errors of the
Results and discussion Poisson’s ratio are reduced by at most 5.4545%. The
in-plane shear modulus also experiences a slight deteri-
Results from reference studies (i.e. aluminium plate and
oration (at most 0.1254%) after stage 2 under the F-
graphite epoxy plate) under three different sets of boundary
F-F-F boundary condition. These results can be ex-
conditions (i.e. F-F-F-F, C-F-F-F and C-C-F-C) are first pre-
plained by the isotropic flexural rigidity that relates
sented, and the results of experimental studies (i.e. ABS plate
the Poisson’s ratio and in-plane shear modulus.
and ACP) under F-F-F-F boundary conditions are subsequent-
Consequently, when the flexural rigidity undergoes
ly demonstrated.
changes, the Poisson’s ratio and in-plane shear modulus
are also subjected to changes. As seen from Table 4, the
Reference Studies percentage changes in the Poisson’s ratio in stage 2 are
much higher than those in stage 1. These alterations
The feasibility of the proposed algorithm is verified using suggest that the sensitivity of the mode shapes with
reference parameters retrieved from literature. The aluminium respect to Poisson’s ratio is relatively high.
and graphite epoxy plates under three different sets of bound-
ary conditions are investigated. The reference elastic proper-
ties are used as the input parameters of the forward Fourier
Table 12 Convergence results of the ABS plate
plate model to generate the reference natural frequencies and
mode shapes. These generated modal parameters are subse- Iteration CCABS CCMDISP
quently used as the reference parameters in the identification
1 0.012932 1.031773
process. Given that the reference plates involve no experimen-
2 0.011299 1.025390
tal data, uncertainties can be assumed non-existent. Thus, the
3 0.009815 1.024478
regularisation parameter is defined as zero(ϑ2 = 0).
4 0.008500 1.024344
Table 11 Identification stopping criteria of the ABS plate 5 0.007338 1.045571
6 0.006313 0.990931
Stage Maximum number Minimum Minimum value
7 0.005411 –
of iteration improvement percentage of convergence
8 0.004618 –
1 10 0.1000 0.0030 9 0.003924 –
2 10 0.0100 1.0000 10 0.003363 –
 Exp Mech

Fig. 4 Sensitivity plot of the

modes of interest with respect to
the elastic properties of the ABS
plate

Table 13 Experimental and evaluated modes of interest of the ABS plate

Mode Experimental Numerical evaluation
measurement Stage 1 Stage 2
31.90 Hz 32.9334 Hz 31.9337 Hz

47.70 Hz 48.4408 Hz 47.8930 Hz

61.70 Hz 61.6635 Hz 62.2511 Hz

84.80 Hz 85.8236 Hz 84.4028 Hz

84.90 Hz 85.9887 Hz 84.7198 Hz

5
Exp Mech

Table 14 Average nodal displacement difference between the presumably absent, the use of the natural frequency error func-
experimental and evaluated modes of the ABS plate
tion (stage 1) is sufficient for effective identification of the
Mode Before stage 2 After stage 2 elastic moduli and in-plane shear modulus. The use of mode
shape error function (stage 2) is recommended to improve the
1 0.464827 0.465621 Poisson’s ratio. The use of the natural frequency error function
2 0.381874 0.354185 in stage 1 for composite materials provides several gaps for
3 2.865838 2.702850 improvement in the identified in-plane shear modulus and
4 0.831537 0.827663 Poisson’s ratio. These findings can be explained by the re-
5 0.614787 0.604338 duced equation of the in-plane shear modulus derived from
Average 1.031773 0.990931 the stiffness matrix. The in-plane shear modulus of isotropic
materials is theoretically related to the elastic modulus
 
Graphite epoxy plate G ¼ 2ð1−v
E
Þ which is relatively more sensitive to natural fre-
quencies. Therefore, in the absence of uncertainties, a condi-
The overall identified elastic moduli show considerable accu- tion equivalent to an ideal case, the use of the natural frequen-
racy compared with the reference values with relative errors of cy error function in stage 1 is sufficient in determining the in-
not more than 2.4%. On the contrary, the relative errors of the plane shear modulus of isotropic materials. The in-plane shear
in-plane shear modulus and major Poisson’s ratio with respect modulus of orthotropic composite materials is theoretically an
to the reference values are more than 2.4%. Therefore, the use independent parameter. Hence, the use of the mode shape
of the mode shapes is suggested in the present paper to further error function in stage 2 is necessary to further improve the
improve the identifiability of the in-plane shear modulus and identifiability of the in-plane shear modulus. In experimental
major Poisson’s ratio. Table 5 presents the identification re- studies, these discoveries can be relevant references in accom-
sults of the graphite epoxy plate. The in-plane shear modulus modating the presence of uncertainties.
evaluated in stage 2 under three different sets of boundary
conditions is highly accurate with relative errors of not more Experimental Plates
than 1.9%, and the relative errors of Poisson’s ratio deter-
mined in stage 2 ranged from 1.5000% to 6.4545%. The max- The proposed algorithm is evaluated on real specimens (i.e.
imum percentages of improvement for the in-plane shear ABS plate and ACP) for validation. Only the F-F-F-F bound-
modulus and Poisson’s ratio are 3.0717% and 6.2273%, re- ary condition is studied because of its ease of implementation,
spectively. The sensitivity of the natural frequencies (stage 1) unlike the other boundary conditions that require proper
with respect to the in-plane shear modulus is higher than that clamping or supporting devices for effective execution. The
of the mode shapes (stage 2), as demonstrated in Table 6. identification procedures are slightly different from those used
Table 7 shows that the influence of the mode shapes with in reference studies. Instead of only involving the in-plane
respect to the Poisson’s ratio is higher than that of the natural shear modulus and major Poisson’s ratio in stage 2, the elastic
frequencies, as shown by the high percentage change in stage moduli are also updated in stage 2 because of the additional
2. room for improvement caused by the presence of uncer-
tainties. EMA is conducted to acquire the modal parameters
(i.e. natural frequencies, mode shapes and damping proper-
Summary ties) of the plates that define their dynamic characteristics.
Destructive static test and theoretical calculation are subse-
Results obtained from reference studies suggest that for purely quently conducted to determine the elastic properties of the
isotropic materials under a condition where uncertainties are ABS plate and ACP, respectively. Results obtained from the
static test, theoretical calculation and nondestructive test are
Table 15 Regularisation parameter of the ACP
compared and presented.
Regularisation parameter
ABS plate
Stiffness rigidities Elastic properties Stage 1, ϑ Stage 2, μ

D11 Ex 0.0030 0.3000 Given that experimental results are involved, regularisation is
D22 Ey 0.3000 needed to accommodate the effects of uncertainties. As stated
D66 Gxy 0.0500 in [46], the recommended value of regularisation parameter
D12 vxy 0.0500 ranges from 0 to 0.3, depending on the problem suitability.
Scaling factor – – 10 The regularisation parameter is often selected on the basis of
the plot of stiffness change norm against residual norm (L-
 Exp Mech

Table 16 Identification results of the ACP under F-F-F-F boundary condition

FFFF Stage 1 Natural frequencies Stage 2 Mode shapes Difference (%)

Cal Initial Updated Error (%) Initial Updated Error (%)

Ex (GPa) 10.3097 12.0000 11.8014 14.4689 11.8014 11.8610 15.0470 −0.5781

Ey (GPa) 10.3097 11.0000 10.8456 4.9412 10.8456 10.7829 4.5899 0.3413
Gxy (GPa) 3.8465 3.5000 3.4507 10.2899 3.4507 3.2137 16.4513 −6.1614
vxy 0.3656 0.2800 0.2762 24.4530 0.2762 0.3238 11.4333 13.0197

curve), such that the selected parameter is placed in the trade-
off range between stiffness change norm and residual norm. In
stage 1, the regularisation parameters for the four elastic prop-
erties are defined by 0.0030 and selected on the basis of the
plot of stiffness change norm against residual norm. In this
study, the selection of regularisation parameter in stage 2 is
different from that in stage 1. In stage 2, the regularisation
parameters for the elastic moduli are defined by the maximum
recommended value of 0.3000 based on the theoretical rela-
tionship between the elastic properties and natural frequen-
cies. The elastic moduli evaluated in stage 1 are sufficiently
good. Thus, the changes in these elastic moduli are restricted
in stage 2 by assigning the maximum value of regularisation to
reduce the possibility of deterioration. According to the sug-
gestion made by Link [46] and the close theoretical relation-
ship between mode shapes and the in-plane shear modulus
and major Poisson’s ratio, the regularisation parameters for
the in-plane shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio are both set
equal to 0.0500 (Table 8). The identified in-plane shear mod-
ulus and major Poisson’s ratio are relatively improved in ac-
curacy by 8.7416% and 7.4481%, respectively, after stage 2
(Table 9). Slight changes (0.7695% and − 0.2516%) are ob-
served in the identified elastic moduli after stage 2. Table 10
shows the percentage change in the elastic properties of the
ABS plate. The influence of the mode shape error function
with respect to the Poisson’s ratio is relatively higher than that
of the in-plane shear modulus. Therefore, stage 2 is proven
vital in further improving the in-plane shear modulus and
Poisson’s ratio. Three basic identification stopping criteria
are predefined appropriately (Table 11). Consequently, the
first stopping criterion is satisfied in stage 1, such that the
maximum number of iteration is reached (i.e. 10) (Table 12).
In stage 2, the third stopping criterion is satisfied, such that the
minimum value of convergence is achieved (i.e. 0.990931).
In a further detailed analysis, Fig. 4 presents the sensitivity
plot of the modes of interest with respect to the elastic prop-
erties of the ABS plate. Table 13 demonstrates the experimen-
tal and evaluated modes of interest of the ABS plate. The
twisting modes (modes 1, 4 and 5) are relatively sensitive with
respect to the in-plane shear modulus, and bending modes
(modes 2 and 3) are comparatively sensitive with respect to
the Poisson’s ratio. Qualitatively, the experimental and evalu-
ated modes match considerably well. Furthermore, no discern-
ible qualitative difference is present between the modes eval-
uated in stages 1 and 2. Table 14 presents the average nodal
displacement difference between experimental and evaluated
modes. Modes 2, 3, 4 and 5 contribute to the improvement in
the in-plane shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio.
ACP
Similarly, with reference to the graph of stiffness change norm
against residual norm (L-curve) in stage 1, the selected
regularisation parameters are 0.0030 for the four elastic prop-
erties. In stage 2, the regularisation parameters for the elastic
moduli are 0.3000, and the regularisation parameters for the
in-plane shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio are 0.0500
(Table 15). The reasons for adopting these values are similar
to those of the ABS plate, as explained previously. The eval-
uated in-plane shear modulus presents a 6.1614% decrease in
accuracy, whereas that of the evaluated Poisson’s ratio dis-
plays an improvement of 13.0197% after stage 2 (Table 16).
In these cases, the percentage changes in the in-plane shear
modulus and Poisson’s ratio before and after stage 2 are higher

Table 17 Percentage change in the elastic properties of the ACP before and after updating

Stage 1 Natural frequencies Stage 2 Mode shapes Difference (%)

Initial Updated Change (%) Initial Updated Change (%)

Ex (GPa) 12.0000 11.8014 1.6550 11.8014 11.8610 0.5050 1.150

Ey (GPa) 11.0000 10.8456 1.4036 10.8456 10.7829 0.5781 0.8255
Gxy (GPa) 3.5000 3.4507 1.4086 3.4507 3.2137 6.8682 −5.4596
vxy 0.2800 0.2762 1.3571 0.2762 0.3238 17.2339 −15.8768
Exp Mech

Table 18 Identification stopping criteria of the ACP Summary

Stage Maximum number Minimum Minimum value
of iteration improvement percentage of convergence
1 10 0.1000 0.0030
2 10 0.0100 1.1100
than those before and after stage 1. These results can be ex-
plained by the substantial influence of mode shapes on the in-
plane shear modulus and major Poisson’s ratio in stage 2
(Table 17). The changes in the elastic moduli are relatively
small compared with those of others controlled by the speci-
fied regularisation parameters. In addition, prior to the identi-
fication process, three basic termination criteria are specified
accordingly (i.e. maximum number of iteration, minimum im-
provement percentage and minimum value of convergence),
as presented in Table 18. In stage 1, the second termination
criterion is satisfied, such that the predefined minimum im-
provement percentage is achieved at iteration 4 (i.e. 0.0278%),
as shown in Table 19. In stage 2, the third stopping criterion is
satisfied, and the solution converged to the minimum conver-
gence value (i.e. 1.105379). Overall, the results are reasonably
good, and stage 2 is proven necessary to preserve the accuracy
of the in-plane shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio with relative
errors not exceeding 20%.
Similarly, Fig. 5 shows the sensitivity plot of the modes of
interest with respect to the elastic properties of the ACP, and
Table 20 demonstrates the experimental and evaluated modes
of interest of the ACP. The in-plane shear modulus holds a
relatively significant influence on modes 1, 4 and 5 which are
twisting modes. On the contrary, a relatively strong mutual
influence is observed between the Poisson’s ratio and bending
modes (modes 2 and 3). Physical observation also suggests
the considerable resemblance between the evaluated and ex-
perimental modes. No significant difference is observed qual-
itatively between the modes evaluated in stages 1 and 2.
Table 21 displays the average nodal displacement difference
between the experimental and evaluated modes of the ACP.
Evidently, modes 1, 2 and 3 contribute in the identification of
the in-plane shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio in stage 2.
Table 19 Convergence results of the ACP
Iteration CCABS CCMDISP
1 0.003724 1.140626
2 0.003610 1.115335
3 0.003598 1.122679
4 0.003597 1.118665
5 – 1.116487
6 – 1.117945
7 – 1.105379
In experiments, the collected data often present uncertainties
that are predominantly caused by various errors, namely, pre-
diction errors, measurement errors and implementation errors.
In the current study, measurement and implementation errors
are the probable errors incurred during acquisition of vibration
data. Measurement errors can be referred to as random and
systematic errors. Random errors are caused by unknown and
unpredictable changes in the experiment. These changes may
occur in the measuring instrument or the environmental atmo-
sphere, such as the occurrence of electronic and electrical
disturbances in the instrument and the changes in the sur-
rounding wind velocity that slightly disrupt the measurement
of vibrational responses. Systematic errors are caused by
faulty instruments or the inappropriate use of instrument. In
the present study, systematic errors are hardly incurred be-
cause the authors are completely aware of the condition and
suitability of the instruments. Implementation errors are
caused by the limitation in the experimental setup. In this
research, a conventional surface-mounted accelerometer is
utilised to measure the vibrational responses of a plate.
Given the attachment of an accelerometer to the plate surface,
the overall mass of the specimen is slightly increased, thereby
affecting the measured responses.
These experimental studies indicate that in the presence of
uncertainties, the four elastic properties are recommended to
undergo stage 2 with different assigned regularisation param-
eters due to the need for improvement in all the elastic prop-
erties after stage 1. The inclusion of mode shapes is proven
vital in enhancing the identifiability of the Poisson’s ratio and
in-plane shear modulus. This phenomenon can be due to the
composition of Poisson’s ratio which defines the coupling
effect between the normal deformations in two orthogonal
directions [47]:
εi
vij ¼ − ð35Þ
εj
where εi is the normal strain in the i-direction, and εj is the
normal strain in the j-direction induced by the coupling effect.
The Poisson’s ratio can be addressed as the ratio of shortening
strain (εi) to tensile strain (εj). In a scientific viewpoint, the
Poisson’s ratio is highly associated with mode shapes because
of its involvement in coupled strains, and mode shapes are
fundamentally composed of the displacement of nodes. A re-
lationship exists between strain and displacement, such that
strain is often expressed as mode curvature, and displacement
is obtained via the second-order integration of the mode cur-
vature (strain) [48]. Strain and displacement are highly related
to the motion of an object that defines mode shapes. The
Poisson’s ratio is relatively more sensitive to bending modes
than to twisting modes because of the normal strain composi-
tion. In the identification of the ABS plate and ACP, modes 1,
 Exp Mech

Table 20 Experimental and evaluated modes of interest of the ACP

Mode Experimental Numerical evaluation
measurement Stage 1 Stage 2
52.70 Hz 52.8556 Hz 51.5486 Hz

82.10 Hz 85.2059 Hz 83.2553 Hz

107.00 Hz 105.2253 Hz 106.4991 Hz

142.00 Hz 141.2432 Hz 139.0896 Hz

149.00 Hz 143.7471 Hz 141.9151 Hz

4 and 5 are twisting modes, and modes 2 and 3 are bending at each designated node of the plate at a particular natural
modes. A mode shape is more local than a natural frequency, frequency. Unlike natural frequency, additional information
such that the flexural or twisting movement of the plate is and details can be explored and retrieved from the mode
entirely determined and expressed in terms of displacement shape. Therefore, the use of the mode shape error function in
stage 2 is effective in improving the Poisson’s ratio. At the end
Table 21 Average nodal displacement difference between the of stage 2, the in-plane shear modulus also showed an overall
experimental and evaluated modes of the ACP improvement due to the relationship between the shear mod-
ulus and twisting modes. Shear modulus is the ratio of shear
Mode Before stage 2 After stage 2
stress to shear strain. Stress, which is a global parameter, can
1 0.415608 0.414516 be observed in the elastic modulus and shear modulus. Given
2 1.419426 1.385408 that natural frequency is also a global parameter, the use of
3 1.667343 1.460338 natural frequency error function is sufficiently effective in
4 0.966213 1.009897 identifying the elastic modulus and shear modulus.
5 1.234541 1.256739 However, the accuracy of shear modulus can be further im-
Average 1.140626 1.105379
proved by using mode shapes because the shear modulus is
much related to twisting modes [49]. These modes are distinct,
Exp Mech
Fig. 5 Sensitivity plot of the
modes of interest with respect to
the elastic properties of the ACP
and they are asymmetric and non-uniform. With their distinct-
ness, the presence of twisting modes during identification is
more significant and influential in altering the in-plane shear
modulus than that of normal bending modes. In the present
study, only the first five nonrigid body modes are utilised in
identifying the experimental ABS plate and ACP. The twisting
modes for free-edged ABS plate and ACP are modes 1, 4 and
5. Therefore, the identifiability of the in-plane shear modulus
can be further improved by using a two-stage approach that
involves natural frequencies and mode shapes.
Conclusions
This study presents a viable identification method for com-
posite materials by using the Fourier method, a weighted least
squares method and the mode shape error function. A two-
stage approach is proposed, in which stage 1 uses the natural
frequency error function, and stage 2 utilises the mode shape
error function. The proposed approach has been proven feasi-
ble in improving the accuracy of the in-plane shear modulus
and Poisson’s ratio and applicable to composite plates under
general boundary conditions. The relative errors of the in-
plane shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio of the graphite epoxy
plate are reduced from at most 9.0909% after stage 1 to at least
1.1816% after stage 2. By contrast, the Poisson’s ratio of the
aluminium plate displays improved accuracy, with the relative
errors reduced from at most 9.1818% after stage 1 to at least
3.6667% after stage 2. The proposed method has also been
validated experimentally and proven viable. The relative er-
rors of the in-plane shear modulus and Poisson’s ratio of ABS
plate are reduced from at most 9.9407% in stage 1 to at least
0.2282% in stage 2. The accuracy of the Poisson’s ratio of
ACP is also improved by 13.0197% from stage 1 to stage 2.
Therefore, the proposed two-stage procedure is recommended
for effective identification of the in-plane shear modulus and
Poisson’s ratio of a composite structure. In the FE method, the
natural frequencies and mode shapes of a structure can be
simply obtained by evaluating the eigenvalues and eigenvec-
tors, respectively. However, in the case of the Fourier method,
the evaluated eigenvectors do not directly represent the iden-
tified mode shapes of a structure; instead, these eigenvectors
are defined as Fourier coefficients that are used to evaluate
mode shapes. Thus, the derivations of the proposed inverse
method are relatively different compared with those of the
widely used FEM-based inverse methods which are consider-
ably straightforward. The objective function of most identifi-
cation methods is defined by a weighted combination of nat-
ural frequencies and mode shapes. In the present study, the
separate definition of the objective function for natural fre-
quencies and mode shapes is proposed to simplify the deriva-
tion and reduce computational effort.
Acknowledgments The authors wish to acknowledge the financial sup-
port and advice given by the University of Malaya Research Grant
(RP013B-15SUS), Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FP010-
2014A), Advanced Shock and Vibration Research (ASVR) Group of
University of Malaya, Postgraduate Research Fund (PG009-2015A)
and other project collaborators.
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