This paper presents a constructive procedure for the identification of a single crack in a beam based on the knowledge of the damage-induced variations in the static deflection of the beam. The crack is simulated by an equivalent rotational spring connecting the two adjacent segments of the beam. The analysis is based on an explicit expression of the crack-induced variation in the deflection of the beam under a given load distribution. The theoretical results are confirmed by a comparison with static measurements on steel beams with a crack.
