CE-5113:

DYNAMICS OF STRUCTURES
By: Dr. Mohammad Ashraf ([email protected])
Office: CE: B109

Department of Civil Engineering, University of Engineering and

Technology, Peshawar

Module-5
Response to General Dynamic Loading
and Transient Response

Dynamics of Structures 2

1
Introduction
The analysis of response to general dynamic loading is comparatively more
complex than harmonic force
For linear systems the response to general dynamic loading can be obtained by
dividing the force into a series of impulsive forces and the total response is
obtained by superposing the response to individual impulse.
The superposition process involves the evaluation of an integral called the
convolution integral or Duhamels integral.
Short duration non-periodic loads are known as Impulsive loads or shock loads.
Blast load, dynamic loads in automobiles, traveling crane and other mobile
machinery may be categorized as shock loads
The response to these loads is transient in nature and decay rapidly.
However, from structural engineering point of view the displacement and stresses
induced are more important than the duration
Because of the short duration of response, damping does not have a significant
influence and can reasonably be ignored in the analysis

Dynamics of Structures 3

Response to Impulsive Force

A large force acting for a very short duration of time is known
as impulsive force
Force, p(t)

The magnitude of the force may be infinitely large but its time
integral (impulse of the force) is finite.
t +
I = p (t )dt
t
Where is very small interval of time during which the
impulsive force is acting. t t+ Time, t
Mathematically, an impulsive force can be expressed in terms
of a delta function, (t). The function is centered at t = 0 with an
p(t) p(t)
infinitely large value at t = 0 and zero at all other location and:
(t )dt = 1.0
The impulsive force centered at t = 0 and having an impulse
equal to I is represented by I(t).
Analogously the impulsive force centered at t = of impulse I is t t
I(t- ) t=0 t=

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Response to Impulsive Force (Cont..)
The impulse I will change the velocity of a system with mass m by:
I
v =
m
The response to impulse is a initial velocity problem. For undamped
system:
I /m
u= sin t

The response to I=1.0 is called unit impulse response. It is denoted by h(t)
and is given by:
1
h(t ) = sin t
m
For an damped system, the response to a unit impulse is:
1 t
h(t ) = e sin d t
md

Dynamics of Structures 5

Response to General Dynamic Loading

The response of a linear system to general dynamic
loading is obtained by dividing the load into a series of
impulses and superposing the response to individual impulse.
From the figure, the undamped incremental response
(du) at any time t = where the impulse is, I = p()d p(t)
is given by: p ( )d
du = sin (t )
m
The total response at time t is obtained by superposing
t
the impulses from = 0 to = t, giving:
d
1 t
u (t ) = p( )sin (t )d
m 0
Similarly for a damped system:
1
u (t ) = p( )e
t
( t )

sin d (t )d
md 0

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3
Response to General Dynamic Loading (Cont..)
The response to general dynamic loading for both damped and undamped
system can me expressed in terms of unit impulse response:

u (t ) = p( )h(t )d
t

The above integral is known as Convolution integral or Duhamels

integral. It provides a general method for the analysis of linear system
subjected to any arbitrary loading and form the basis for the development
of Fourier transform method.
For simple function of p() closed form solution can easily be obtained; in
other cases, numerical technique must be used.
For a system with non-zero initial condition, the total response is:
v + uo t
u (t ) = e t uo cos d t + o + p( )h(t )d
d 0

Dynamics of Structures 7

Step Function Load

A suddenly applied load which remains constant after p(t)
application. The governing equation of motion is: Po
mu&& + cu& + ku = Po
The particular solution can be obtained by the methods of t
trials. We assume for our trial solution u = C (constant).
Putting in the above equation results in u = C = Po/k.
The complimentary solution is: u = e ( A cos d t + B sin d t )
t

Where A and B are arbitrary constants depend on initial

conditions
The total solution is thus:
P
u = e t ( A cos d t + B sin d t ) + o
k
For zero initial conditions:
P P
A= o B= o
k k 1 2
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Step Function Load (Cont..)
The resulting solution becomes:

Po
u= 1 e t cos d t + sin d t
k 1 2

The maximum value of dynamic load factor, u/(Po/k) is 2.0 when damping is
negligible. For finite damping it is always less than 2.0

Dynamics of Structures 9

Step Function Load (Cont..)

The time at which the peak response occurs
is obtained by differentiating the above
equation and equating to zero:
n
tp = ( n = 0,1,2,.....) Peak response
d
The first peak occurs when n=1 i.e. tp=/d.
The peak response is given by:

P
u = o 1 + e 1
2

k

Thus the peak response is a function of
damping only.
The response to step function can also be
obtained using the Duhamels integral

1
u (t ) =
t
(t )

md Pe
0
o sin d (t )d

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Ramp Function Load
A ramp function load is a load that increases p(t)
linearly with time. Mathematically, it can be
expressed as: Pot
p(t ) = Po
tt
The Duhamels integral for ramp function load is:
1 Po (t ) t
u (t ) =
t

md 0 t1
e sin d (t )d t1
For undamped system Duhamels integral
simplifies to:
1 t Po t P t sin t
u (t ) =
m 0 t1
sin (t )d = o
k t1 t1
The undamped response to ramp function load is
shown in figure on right

Dynamics of Structures 11

Step Function Load with Rise Time

The response to such a load is obtained from the p(t) p (t ) =
Pot
tt
superposition of the following two ramp functions:
z A ramp function load applied at t = 0.0 given by: Po
Po t sin t
u1 (t ) =
k t1 t1 p (t ) = Po
t t1
tt
z An equal but negative ramp function applied at t = t1 t
given by:
Po t t1 sin (t t1 )
t1
u 2 (t ) =
k t1 t1
z The total response is given by;
Po t sin t
(t t1 )
k t1 t1
u (t ) =
Po sin t sin (t t1 )
1 + (t > t1 )
k t1 t1

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Response Spectrum
Response spectrum is a curve drawn for any response quantity of SDOF
system against natural period or frequency.

Dynamics of Structures 13

Example 7.1: Suddenly Applied Load that decays

Exponentially
A suddenly applied load with exponential decay is
given by: p (t ) = Po e at
The governing equation of motion for undamped
SDOF system is given by:
mu&& + ku = Po e at
The solution to this equation for zero initial condition,
is obtained by Duhamels Integral:
P t
u (t ) = o e a sin (t )d
m 0
Po a at
u (t ) = sin t cos t + e
k (1 + a 2 / 2 )

u (t ) =
(
Po
k 1+ a2 / 2 ) ( 1+ a
2
/ 2 sin (t + ) + e at )
Po
For high value of t, e-at becomes very small and the u (t ) =
k 1+ a2 / 2
system vibrates with steady state amplitude of:
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Example 7.2: Blast Induced Pressure

Natural frequency of the system is given by:

k 350
= = = 59.16 rad / s
m 0.1
The force applied to the floor level is obtained by
multiplying half of the area subjected to wind pressure:

P(t ) =
A
2
p=
144
2
( ) (
100 e 10t e 100t / 1000 = 7.2 e 10t e 100t )
The applied force has two exponential decay
components. Therefore the total response is obtained by
summing the response to each component.

Dynamics of Structures 15

Example 7.2: Blast Induced Pressure (Cont..)

7.2 10
u (t ) = sin 59.16t cos 59.16t + e 10t
( )
350 1 + 10 2 / 59.16 2 59.16
7.2 100 100 t
sin 59.16t cos 59.16t + e
( )
350 1 + 100 2 / 59.16 2 59.16

u (t ) = 0.0056 sin 59.16t 0.0147 cos 59.16t + 0.02e 10t 0.0053e 100t

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Shock/Impulsive Loading: Rectangular Pulse
p(t)
For t t1, the response is obtained from the step
Po
function equation:
P
u (t ) = o (1 cos t ) t t1.............(1) t
k
t1
For t > t1, the response is obtained from superposition
of above step function applied at t = 0 and equal but -Po
negative step function applied at t = t1,
P P
u (t ) = o (1 cos t ) o {1 cos (t t1 )}
k k
Po
u (t ) = {cos (t t1 ) cos t} t > t1............(2)
k

Or in the 2nd era the response is obtained from the free

vibration response due to velocity and displacement at
time t = t1.

Dynamics of Structures 17

Rectangular Pulse (Cont..)

The peak response will either be in the first era or the 2nd era of free vibration
Assuming the peak is in the first era, the time at peak, tp is obtained by
differentiating equation (1) and equating to zero. We get: tp = /
The solution is valid only when: tp = / < t1 or t1/T > 1/2
The peak response is given by: umax = 2Po/k
If t1/T<1/2, then the peak falls in the free vibration phase. The time at peak in the
2nd era is obtained by differentiating equation (2):
sin (t p t1 ) sin t p = 0
sin t1 t
tan t p = = cot 1
(cos t1 1) 2
t1 t1 T t1
t p = tp = + = +
2 2 2 2 4 2
The peak response is given by:
Po t
u max = 2 sin 1
k T Response (shock) spectrum
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Triangular Pulse

The triangular pulse can be represented as the p(t) 2 Po t

superposition of three ramp function shown in figure t1
2 Po (t t1 )
For t < t1/2 the solution of the first ramp function is the Po
t1
solution of the first era. For t1/2 < t < t1, summation of the
solution of 1st and 2nd ramp functions is the solution of the t
t1
2nd era. Similarly for t > t1, summation of the three ramp 2
t1
functions gives the solution for the 3rd era. The solution for 4 Po (t t1 / 2 )
the 3rd era can also be obtained from the free vibration t1
using the initial conditions at t = t1.
2 Po t sin t t
t 1
k t1 t1 2
2P t sin t sin (t t1 / 2)
t1
u (t ) = o 1 t t + 2 < t t1
k 1 1 t1
sin t sin (t t1 / 2 ) sin (t t1 )
2 Po + t > t1
k t1 t1 t1
Dynamics of Structures 19

Triangular Pulse (Cont..)

The peak response may occur in any of three eras, depending upon the ratio t1/T.
The peak in each era may be obtained by differentiating and equation to zero the
respective equation. For the first era, the time at peak and the peak response (the
equations are valid when tp < t1) are:
T t1
tp = +
4 2
4 Po t
umax = 1 cos 1
kt1 2

Similarly one can get peak

response for the 2nd and 3rd eras
The response spectrum for the
triangular pulse is shown in figure

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Sinusoidal Pulse

The sine pulse can be represented as the superposition of

two sine waves as shown in figure
For t < t1 the solution of the sine force is the solution for
the first era. For the 2nd era (free vibration era) the solution
is obtained as summation of two sine waves:
Po 1
k 1 2 (sin t sin t ) t t1

u (t ) =
Po 1 {sin t sin t + sin (t t ) sin (t t )} t > t
k 1 2 1 1 1

If the peak response occurs in the 1st era then the time for
peak response is: 2n
tp =

The smallest value of tp other than zero is obtained for n=1
and using the negative sign 2 2
tp = =
1 + 1 / t1 + 2 / T
Dynamics of Structures 21

Sinusoidal Pulse (Cont..)

The equation is valid only when:

2 t 1 / 1 1
t p = t1 1 = 1
1 / t1 + 2 / T T 2 2 / 2 2

The peak response for the first era is:

Po 1 2 2
umax = sin sin 1
k 1 2 1 + 1+

For the 2nd era the peak response is:

Po 2
umax = cos > 1
k 1 2 2

The shock spectrum is shown in the figure

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 Response to a Ground Motion Pulse

t vo
u& g = vo 1 u&&g =
t1
t1
The governing equation of motion is:
mvo
mu&& + ku =
t1
The total solution is obtained by summing the Duhamels
Integral and the free vibration response with initial
conditions: uo = 0 u&o = u&t u& go = vo

vo 1 t mvo vo 1
sin t + m 0 t sin (t )d t t1 sin t + (1 cos t ) t t1
1 t1
u= u=
v 1 t1 mv
o sin t + sin (t )d t > t1 vo 1
m 0 t 1
o
sin t + {cos (t t1 ) cos t} t > t1

t1

Dynamics of Structures 23

Response to a Ground Motion Pulse (Cont..)

Shock Spectrum

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