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In the field of structural dynamics is common to predict the behaviour of a structure regarding structural modifications. In this context, the frequency based substructuring method is well-known to perform structural modifications based on the coupling of structures. This process gives the possibility to perform the study of a structure at the level of its components and then assess the response of the coupled system. In practice, it is impossible to attain an experimental complete response model, although one can simulate all the responses of a structure using numerical models. Hence, the substructuring process can be enhanced by the combined use of experimental and numerical responses, as it was demonstrated using numerically obtained frequency response functions. This work presents the enhancement of the frequency based substructuring method using a method to expand experimental frequency response functions over the entire set of degrees of freedom in a finite element model. This expansion process, known as modified Kidder’s method, considers that if one can only measure translations due to exciting force, it is possible to obtain the complete response model, including the rotational frequency response functions due to exciting moments. The combined use of the frequency based substructuring and the modified Kidder’s methods has several advantages, as it avoids modal identification or residual compensation. To evaluate the performance of the proposed procedure a numerical example of a beam structure is presented, and its results are discussed.

The development of new sensors that are available at more accessible prices may lead to the spread of their use on common studies in structural dynamics. One of areas of interest is the experimental determination of rigid body properties that are mandatory when the vibration response is to be calculated at low frequency ranges. In this work, a comparison of the experimental determination of rigid body properties is carried out to evaluate the performance of the commonly used tri-axial piezoelectric accelerometers and their equivalent MEMS sensors. Although their prices are quite different, both sensors can measure the inertia restraint line that is related to the inertia properties of the tested object. An identification algorithm is applied to the frequency response functions obtained by using both sensors, leading to the estimation of the body mass value, as well as the three coordinates of the centre of mass and the six elements of the inertia tensor. An experimental example supports the use of the referred low-cost sensors.