Structural dynamics

Structural analysis is mainly concerned with finding out the behaviour of a physical structure when subjected to force. This action can be in the form of load due to the weight of things such as people, furniture, wind, snow, etc. or some other kind of excitation such as an earthquake, shaking of the ground due to a blast nearby, etc. In essence all these loads are dynamic, including the self weight of the structure because at some point in time these loads were not there. The distinction is made between the dynamic and the static analysis on the basis of whether the applied action has enough acceleration in comparison to the structure!s natural frequency. If a load is applied sufficiently slowly, the inertia forces "#ewton!s second law of motion$ can be ignored and the analysis can be simplified as static analysis. Structural dynamics , therefore, is a type of structural analysis which covers the behaviour of structures subjected to dynamic "actions having high acceleration$ loading. %ynamic loads include people, wind, waves, traffic, earthquakes, and blasts. &ny structure can be subjected to dynamic loading. %ynamic analysis can be used to find dynamic displacements, time history, and modal analysis. & dynamic analysis is also related to the inertia forces developed by a structure when it is excited by means of dynamic loads applied suddenly "e.g., wind blasts, explosion, earthquake$. & static load is one which varies very slowly. & dynamic load is one which changes with time fairly quickly in comparison to the structure!s natural frequency. If it changes slowly, the structure!s response may be determined with static analysis, but if it varies quickly "relative to the structure!s ability to respond$, the response must be determined with a dynamic analysis. %ynamic analysis for simple structures can be carried out manually, but for complex structures finite element analysis can be used to calculate the mode shapes and frequencies.
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) %isplacements * Time history analysis *.) +xample , %amping - .odal analysis -.) +nergy method -.* .odal response / .odal participation factor

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%isplacements'edit(
& dynamic load can have a significantly larger effect than a static load of the same magnitude due to the structure!s inability to respond quickly to the loading "by deflecting$. The increase in the effect of a dynamic load is given by the dynamic amplification factor "%&1$2

where u is the deflection of the structure due to the applied load. 3raphs of dynamic amplification factors vs non dimensional rise time "tr4T$ exist for standard loading functions "for an explanation of rise time, see time history analysis below$. 5ence the %&1 for a given loading can be read from the graph, the static deflection can be easily calculated for simple structures and the dynamic deflection found.

Time history analysis'edit(

& full time history will give the response of a structure over time during and after the application of a load. To find the full time history of a structure!s response, you must solve the structure!sequation of motion.

Example'edit(

& simple single degree of freedom system "a mass, ., on a spring of stiffness, k for example$ has the following equation of motion2

where

is the acceleration "the double derivative of the displacement$ and x is the displacement.

If the loading 1"t$ is a 5eaviside step function "the sudden application of a constant load$, the solution to the equation of motion is2

where

and the fundamental natural frequency,

The static deflection of a single degree of freedom system is2

so you can write, by combining the above formulae2

This gives the "theoretical$ time history of the structure due to a load 1"t$, where the false assumption is made that there is no damping. &lthough this is too simplistic to apply to a real structure, the 5eaviside Step 1unction is a reasonable model for the application of many real loads, such as the sudden addition of a piece of furniture, or the removal of a prop to a newly cast concrete floor. 5owever, in reality loads are never applied instantaneously they build up over a period of time "this may be very short indeed$. This time is called the rise time. &s the number of degrees of freedom of a structure increases it very quickly becomes too difficult to calculate the time history manually real structures are analysed using non linear finite element analysis software.

%amping'edit(
&ny real structure will dissipate energy "mainly through friction$. This can be modelled by modifying the %&1

where depending on the type of construction2

and is typically *6 )76

8olted steel 906 :einforced concrete 9 /6 ;elded steel 9 *6 8rick masonry 9 )76

3enerally damping would be ignored for non transient events "such as wind loading or crowd loading$, but would be important for transient events "for example, an impulse load such as an earthquake loading or bomb blast$.

.odal analysis'edit(
& modal analysis calculates the frequency modes or natural frequencies of a given system, but not necessarily its full time history response to a given input. The natural frequency of a system is dependent only on the stiffness of the structure and the mass which participates with the structure "including self weight$. It is not dependent on the load function. It is useful to know the modal frequencies of a structure as it allows you to ensure that the frequency of any applied periodic loading will not coincide with a modal frequency and hence causeresonance, which leads to large oscillations. The method is2 ). 1ind the natural modes "the shape adopted by a structure$ and natural frequencies *. ,. <alculate the response of each mode =ptionally superpose the response of each mode to find the full modal response to a given loading

Energy method'edit(
It is possible to calculate the frequency of different mode shape of system manually by the energy method. 1or a given mode shape of a multiple degree of freedom system you can find an >equivalent> mass, stiffness and applied force for a single degree of freedom system. 1or simple structures the basic mode shapes can be found by inspection, but it is not a conservative method. :ayleigh!s principle states2 >The frequency ? of an arbitrary mode of vibration, calculated by the energy method, is always greater than or equal to the fundamental frequency ? n.> 1or an assumed mode shape , of a structural system with mass .@ stiffness,

+I "Aoung!s modulus, +, multiplied by the second moment of area, I$@ and applied force, 1"x$2

then, as above2