Experimental identification of nonlinear dynamic properties of built-up structures

The paper is focused on the nonlinear damping capacity of built-up structures owing to presence of frictional joints. To quantify and characterise the nonlinear dynamic behaviour of built-up structures, a novel experimental procedure is introduced based on the wavelet transform providing equivalent modal parameters identification. In order to analyse the influence of the interfacial pressure and the interface area on the dynamic behaviour of built-up structures, an experimental study conducted on a simple built-up structure consisting of two bolted beams is presented. Results in terms of equivalent modal parameters are finally discussed and rationalised.