Abstract
The variable matrices method, that was based on the properties that adaptive structures could identify their own unknown structural characteristics by their variable and controllable structural parameters, was proposed to identify structural matrices. Also, the relation between the number of variable structural parameters and identifiable degrees of freedom of the structural matrix was shown. A simple spring-mass system attached with variable stiffness spring was demonstrated to investigate the performance of the proposed method. Results of the self-identification showed that the exact stiffness matrix was identified by the variable matrices method.
