  This paper proposes the use of particle swarm optimization method (PSO) for
finite element (FE) model updating. The PSO method is compared to the existing
methods that use simulated annealing (SA) or genetic algorithms (GA) for FE
model for model updating. The proposed method is tested on an unsymmetrical
H-shaped structure. It is observed that the proposed method gives updated
natural frequencies the most accurate and followed by those given by an updated
model that was obtained using the GA and a full FE model. It is also observed
that the proposed method gives updated mode shapes that are best correlated to
the measured ones, followed by those given by an updated model that was
obtained using the SA and a full FE model. Furthermore, it is observed that the
PSO achieves this accuracy at a computational speed that is faster than that by
the GA and a full FE model which is faster than the SA and a full FE model.
