DYNAMIC STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS

Introduction

The procedures described herein are restricted essentially to buildings, although in some
cases can be applied to other structures. Many different approaches to analysis are
employed in design ranging from purely elastic analysis through techniques that account
for at least some degree of nonlinear behaviour.

It should be noted that because a structure is supported on a foundation the interaction

between the structure and the foundation is an important factor in determining structure
response. From the most general point of view, analysis of structural response to
earthquake motion should consider as many components of ground motion as the number
of degrees of freedom of the base: six for a single rigid base, many more for flexible
foundations (example for those in dams, bridges, etc.).

A complete three-dimensional analysis of a building is a formidable task. Most existing

computer programs for inelastic, three dimensional, dynamic analysis of structures do not
incorporate an extensive collection of structural elements appropriate for buildings and ds
are therefore of limited application. For the reasons note, rigorous inelastic response
history analyses, would therefore be an impractical requirement in design.

The most commonly used of the simpler methods of analysis are based on the
approximation that effects of yielding can be accounted for by linear analysis of the
building using the design spectrum for inelastic systems, determined from elastic design
spectrum and allowable ductility factor. Forces and displacements associated with each
horizontal component ground motion are separately determined by analysis of an
idealization of the building with one lateral degree of freedom per floor in the direction of
ground motion. Such analysis can be carried out by:

1. Modal Analysis Procedure

2. Equivalent Lateral Force Procedure

Both methods lead directly to lateral forces in the direction of ground motion component
being considered. The main difference between the 2 procedures lies in the magnitude
and distribution of lateral forces over the height of the building. In the modal analysis, the
lateral forces are based on the properties of the natural vibration modes, which are
determined from distribution of mass and stiffness over height. In the equivalent lateral
force procedure, the magnitude of forces is based on an estimate of the fundamental
period and on the distribution of forces as given by formulas appropriate for regular
buildings. Otherwise, both procedures have the same capabilities and limitations.

Normally receiving consideration in the 2 procedures are:

1. effects of horizontal component of ground motion perpendicular to the direction
in the anlaysis;
2. torsional motions;
3. vertical motions of the structure
4. gravity load effects, a.k.a. P-Δ effect.

A “preliminary design” of the building must be available before modal analysis can be
implemented; this procedure requires the mass and stiffness properties of the building.
The equivalent lateral force method is suited for preliminary design and normally is
needed even if more refined analysis procedures are employed in the final design.
Modal Analysis Procedure

The modal or mode superposition method is generally applicable to analysis of dynamic

response of complex structures in their linear range of behaviour, in particular to analysis
of forces and deformations in multi-storey buildings due to medium intensity ground
shaking causing moderately large but essentially linear response of the structure.

Strictly speaking, the modal method which is applicable only to the analysis of linear
responding systems, leads only to an approximate estimate of the design forces for
buildings because they are usually designed to deform significantly beyond the yield limit
during ground shaking. However, satisfactory approximations to the design forces and
deformations can be obtained from the modal method by using the modified design
response spectrum for inelastic systems (as described in earlier lesson modules).

In its most general form, the modal method for linear response analysis is applicable to
arbitrary 3 dimensional structural systems. For building design, it can be simplified by
restricting consideration to lateral motion in a plane. In many cases, planar models
appropriate for each of 2 orthogonal lateral directions can be analyzed separately and
results of the 2 combined.

The mass of the structure normally is lumped at the floor levels; only one degree of
freedom- the lateral displacement in the direction for which the structure is being
analyzd-per floor level required.

Modal periods and shapes.

The design method requires knowledge about periods and shapes of vibrations for each of
those natural modes of vibration that may contribute significantly to the total design
quantities. Such periods may be longer than those obtained from a small amplitude test of
the building, or the response to small earthquake motions, because of the stiffening
effects of the non-structural and architectural components at small amplitudes.

Several methods of calculating natural periods and associated mode shapes of vibrations
of a structure are available. The calculations can be carried out readily by standard
computer programs.

Modal responses.

Maximum responses in each natural mode of vibration can be expressed in terms of

modal properties and the earthquake response spectrum. For the nth mode, the base shear
force component αon is:

An
 on  n
g

An = the ordinate, corresponding to the nth mode of vibration with period Tn and
damping ratio n , of the pseudo acceleration response spectrum;
g = acceleration due to gravity
βn = effective weight of the building that corresponds to the nnth mode

2
N 
 wiin 
 n   iN1 

 wi 2 in
i 1
Where:

wi = weight lumped at the ith floor level (wi =mi x g)

ϕin = modal displacement of ith floor
N = total number of floor levels

The above equation for βn gives values that are independent of the method of mode
normalization. The lateral force at the ith level in the nth mode of vibration is

wiin
qin  on N

 wjjn
j 1

In applying the forces at the various levels to the building, their direction is controlled by
the algebraic sign of ϕin. Hence the modal forces for the fundamental mode will act in the
same direction; for the 2nd and higher modes they will change direction as one moves up
the structure.

The calculation of internal forces (e.g. storey shears, storey moments, etc) does not
involve any dynamic analysis. The lateral loads are applied at each level, statics is used to
calculate storey shears and moments, and a static deflection analysis employed for floor
deflections. Floor deflections Vin are proportional to the mode shape. Thus,

1 g
Vin  qin
 n2 wi

2
Where: ωn = = the frequency of the nth natural mode of vibration
Tn

Deformation quantities similarly should not be determined from the total floor
displacements , but individual modal values determined and combined:

 in  Vi n - Vi 1, n

LIMITATIONS AND CHOICE OF LATERAL FORCE AND MODAL ANALYSIS

METHODS

Important assumptions:

1. Forces and deformation can be determined by combining the results of

independent analyses of a planar idealization of the building for each horizontal
component of ground motion, including torsional moments;
2. nonlinear structural response can be determined to an acceptable degree of
accuracy by linear analysis of the building by employing a modified response
spectrum for inelastic systems.

Both methods may be inadequate if the lateral motions in 2 orthogonal directions and the
torsional motions are strongly coupled. Buildings with large eccentricities or buildings
with close values of natural frequencies of the lower modes and essentially coincident
centers of mass resistance, exhibit coupled lateral-torsional motions. The modal method
can be applied to analysis of the model.
The equivalent force procedure and the modal method are all best applicable to analysis,
of buildings in which ductility demands imposed by earthquakes are essentially
uniformly distributed over the various stories. For such buildings, the maximum ductility
allowed for a particular structural system and material may be used in determining the
inelastic response spectrum.

The main difference between the equivalent lateral force and modal procedure lies on the
magnitude of the base shear and distribution of the lateral forces. In the modal method the
forces are based on computed periods and mode shapes of several modes of vibrations. In
the equivalent force, they are based on the estimate of fundamental period and simple
formulas for distribution of forces appropriate for buildings with regular mass
distribution and stiffness.

The Equivalent Lateral Force method may be employed for buildings with the following
properties:

1. Seismic force resisting system has the same configuration in all storeys;
2. floor masses and stiffnesses do not differ by more than 30% in adjacent floors;
3. cross sectional areas and moments of inertia of structural members do not differ
by more than 30% in adjacent storeys

For other buildings, the following steps may be done to determine if Modal Method
should be used:

1. Compute lateral forces and storey shears using equivalent lateral force method;
2. Dimension structural members approximately;
3. Compute lateral displacements as designed in #2 due to forces from #1;
4. Compute new sets of lateral forces and storey shears by replacing hk with the
displacements computed in step #3;
5. If at any storey, the recomputed storey shear from step #4 differs from the original
value in step #1 by more than 30%, structure should be analyzed by Modal
Procedure. If difference is less than 30%, structure may be designed using the
storey shears obtained in step #4; they represent an improvement over step #1.