What is Computer Aided Structural Analysis?

 As the name suggests, Computer Aided Structural Analysis is the method of

solving your structural analysis problem with the help of computer software.

 In earlier generation analysis programs input file of the structure is prepared

manually.

 The commercial structural analysis programs of modern days are far more powerful
and easy to use. Here, you can actually draw your model on screen (as if you’re
drawing in a paper with a pencil!) with the mouse and keyboard! Everything is
graphical.

 You had to supply the programs manually the nodal co-ordinates, member
incidence/connectivity, material properties, sectional properties of the all members
and the loads (nodal force/moment/distributed member loads etc.).

 You also had to supply how the structure was supported, fixed, hinged or roller.

 The program then calculated the member forces, nodal reactions and joint
displacements.

 ,

 Apply loads/load combinations, analyze the structure (Perform Analysis) and

visualize the sheer force, bending moment and even deflected shape diagram
graphically.




 load will not vary against time
 Linearity assumption that The relationship between loads and resulting
responsesis linear
 comply with Hooke’s Law
 Loads must be constant in magnitude, direction and distribution.

If the above assumptions are not valid, then we shall have to treat the problem as
non-linear analysis.
Dynamic Analysis

 Performed on a structure when the load applied to it varies with time.

The most common case of dynamic analysis is the Response of Building under Earthquake acceleration.

 Natural frequency: Every structure has a tendency to vibrate at certain frequencies

 Mode shape: Each natural frequency is associated with a certain shape that the model tends to
assume when vibrating
 Resonance : When a structure is excited by a dynamic load that coincides with one of its natural
frequency, the structure undergoes large displacements
 Damping : prevents the response of the structures to resonant.
 Modal analysis: The computation of natural frequencies and mode shapes

 Response Spectrum Analysis

 Time History Analysis
 Buckling Analysis
 Thermal Analysis

 Resonance is a condition in which a vibrating system responds with maximum amplitude to

a periodic driving force.
Mechanical systems (beams, pendula, springs, wine glasses, guitar strings etc) will have a
number of possible frequencies at which this occurs. These are the system's natural
frequencies of vibration. For example, a guitar string will have a series of possible
frequencies where this happens, the lowest is called the fundamental frequency. The other
frequencies are at values which are whole number multiples of the fundamental.
When resonance occurs, the frequency is often called a resonant frequency. This is just
saying that resonance occurs when the driving force has the same value as one of the natural
frequencies.
A beam can have more than one natural frequency, and therefore can be made to resonate at
more than one frequency.
An (LC) series electrical circuit will resonate at a frequency given by f= (1/2π)√LC
This could be called its natural frequency or its resonant frequency. It doesn't really matter.
(It's usually called its resonant frequency.)

Read more: http://www.physicsforums.com

I'm trying to understand vibrations and specifically what happens in the natural modes of frequency..

1. It seems that the harmonic nature of solution(with Acos(wt)...where A is the amplitude) applies only in
the natural mode of vibration...and so the system will have a defined mode shape only in its natural
mode?...what happens otherwise?
2. A system with 2 degrees of freedom has 2 resonant frequencies.....what are these frequencies...meaning
is the first resonant frequency a characteristic of the first vibrating particle/body and the second one is a
characteristic of the second body? ..intuitively, why is it necessary for the no. of degrees of freedom to be
equal to the number of resonant frequencies available?

3. Also, how is it possible to excite multiple natural frequencies simultaneously...like in a violin string?
...since its hard to image how they can coexist on the same string.

1. The sinusoidal response applies to both natural and forced modes. However the forced modes may
be a combination of more than one sinusoid, but can be resolved into individual sinusoids by a
Fourier analysis. The single frequency Acos(wt) is also the basic equation of any Simple Harmonic
Motion (SHM).

2. Each degree of freedom has one FUNDAMENTAL resonant frequency, but many possible
harmonic frequencies. Resonant or "natural" vibrations / oscillations arise from Standing Waves
being set up spatially. Standing waves require the incident and reflected waves to produce pressure
nodes (nulls) and anti-nodes (maxima) at the same positions. In each degree of freedom there will
be different spatial positions available for the nodes and anti-nodes. Hence, 1 fundamental
resonance per degree of freedom.

3. Fundamental and harmonic natural frequencies can co-exist e.g. on a violin string because the
nodes and anti-nodes are always a half-wavelength apart. Since the harmonics are integer multiples
of the fundamental frequency, some of the harmonic nodes will always co-include with the
fundamental nodes, so they won't "interfere" with each other.

Every system has its own natural frequency if an existing force is acting on that body having its
frequency equal to its natural frequency.
Then the amplitude of vibration of the system becomes infinite and becomes destroyed.

If the stiffness of a spring is increased....

A. the amplitude of the oscillations will increase.
B. the amplitude of the oscillations will decrease
C. the natural frequency will increase.
D. the natural frequency will decrease.

C. the natural frequency will increase.

Stiffness is the resistance of an elastic body to deformation by an applied force. so it will resist the
deformation more and faster to try to return to its equilibrium state.
The amplitude of the oscillation is independent of the stiffness of the spring. It depends only on the
initial conditions of the motion (initial velocity and position)

The natural frequency f depends on the stiffness constant k of the spring by the following formula:
f = 2π√(k/m)
Thus, when k increases, f will increase. The amplitude of the oscillation is independent of the stiffness
of the spring. It depends only on the initial conditions of the motion (initial velocity and position)

The natural frequency f depends on the stiffness constant k of the spring by the following formula:
f = 2π√(k/m)
Thus, when k increases, f will increase.

F=-kx so x = F/k, where k is the stiffness and k is the amplitude, so as stiffness increases, amplitude
decreases

This depends though, if the spring is compressed a fixed difference then the answer would be C
because the higher k-value also increases frequency. So it depends on the situation, but its either B or
C.

If the stiffness of a spring is increased....

B. the amplitude of the oscillations will decrease

C. the natural frequency will increase.