WP 1 is concentrated on the verification of the NEWS methodology used for damage detection in a variety of materials and structures which are of importance to aeronautics. Apart from a first phase in which we assess information on aerospace structures identifying critical structural components and possible failure scenarios (Milestone 1[1]), we distinguish two high priority tasks within WP1. They are devoted to the evaluation of NEWS techniques on composites, layered materials and metals, as well as complex structures such as thin extended plates, sandwich plates, welds, joints, and rotary parts. The results of this workpackage will lead to the formulation of feedback loops, decision-making tools and a comprehensive comparison analysis with other NDT techniques in terms of resolution, experimental demands etc… Based on the outcome of this WP, the consortium will decide on the method to be implemented in the full scale validation model (Milestone 2[2]).

A large class of currently used experimental NEWS methods is based on the generalized interrogation of objects, for which the exact location of the defect domain structures is unknown. At present these only specify whether the objects contain damage or not. In some cases this is sufficient but there can exist additional demands for a ”magical” system, which could promptly map the distribution of defects in a monitored structure. The extension of the methodology to defect localization identification is now possible, and the imaging of damaged zones using nonlinear techniques could be realized within approximately three to four years.