  A novel damage localization method is proposed, which is based on a
substructuring approach and makes use of Vector Auto-Regressive with eXogenous
input (VARX) models. The substructuring approach aims to divide the monitored
structure into several multi-DOF isolated substructures. Later, each individual
substructure is modeled by a VARX model, and the health of each substructure is
determined analyzing the variation of the VARX model. The method allows to
detect whether the isolated substructure is damaged, and besides allows to
locate the damage within the substructure. Only measured displacement data is
required to estimate the isolated substructure's VARX model. Moreover, it is
not necessary to have a priori knowledge of the structural model. The proposed
method is validated by simulations of an eight-storey shear building.
