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CEN 307: Structural Dynamics

2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

Multi Degree-of-Freedom
Systems
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Free vibration of MDF

Systems without damping
The free vibrations of a multi-degree-of-freedom system are governed by
the following equation of motion :
(7.1)
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

In the case of zero damping the matrix C = 0 and eq. (7.1) becomes

(7.2)
Like in the case of SDF it is desired to find the response vector of the
system u(t), that satisfies the initial conditions 𝒖 𝟎 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝒖(𝟎)
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Free vibration of MDF

Systems without damping

U2(0)
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

U1(0)

Initial condition Time step No.1 Time step No.2

Unlike the SDF the free vibration of each mass is

not harmonic and the frequency of the motion
cannot be defined.
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Free vibration of MDF

Systems without damping
By introducing appropriate initial conditions it is possible to achieve simple
harmonic vibration of the structure.
In such cases the structure during vibration maintains the initial deformed
shape and the two masses reach their maximum deflections at the same time.
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

Those appropriate initial deformations

are called natural modes of vibration
of the structure

*Node called a point of zero displacement.

The number of nodes increases according to the number
of modes.
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Free vibration of MDF

Systems without damping
The natural period of vibration Tn of an MDF is the time
required for one cycle of the simple harmonic motion in one of
these natural modes.
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

(7 (7.3)

Each natural mode of vibration has its natural period, circular and natural
frequency.
From that set of values the longer natural period is denoted by T1 and the
shortest as T2
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Free vibration of MDF

Systems without damping
Eq. (7.2) has a solution of the form u = qsin(ωt+θ), where q is an
arbitrary vector, ω is the frequency of vibration, and θ is a phase angle.
Upon substitution on eq.(7.2) occurs :
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

(7.4)
In order for the Eq.(7.4) to be true for all values of t the only acceptable
solution is of the form :

(7.5)
This algebraic problem is called the matrix eigenvalue problem and since
the matrices K and M are known the problem is to determine the scalar
ω2 and the vector q.
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Free vibration of MDF

Systems without damping
The N-th degree system of equations in order to have a solution other than
the trivial one its determinant has to be equal to zero :
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

(7.6)
The expansion of he determinant leads to a polynomial equation of order
N, known as the characteristic equation of the system.
Because the mass and stiffness matrices of the system are symmetric and
positive definite the polynomial equation has N real and positive roots for
ω2 .
Τhe N roots of the characteristic equation are also known as eigenvalues,
characteristic values, or normal values.
With the use of eigenvalues eq. (7.5) can be solved for the vector q
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Free vibration of MDF

Systems without damping

The solution of the eigenvalue problem does not fix the amplitude of the
vectors q but only their shapes given by the relative values of the N
displacements.
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

mn mn
mn

m3 m3 m3
m2 m2
m2

m1 m1 m1

Mode 1 Mode 2 Mode 3

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Free vibration of MDF

Systems without damping
There are n eigenvalues, j and n sets of eigenvectors {qj} for j=1, 2, 3..n

Then, for each j : k 1 mq j   λ j q j   (1/ω j2 )q j  (7.7)

2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

j is the circular frequency (2nj); {qj} is the mode shape for mode j.
In total the N-DOF system has a set of N natural vibration frequencies
which are arranged in a sequence from smallest to largest.
They satisfy the equation :

ω 2j mq j   k q j  (7.8)

The first mode of vibration of the system is called the fundamental

mode of vibration
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Free vibration of MDF

Systems without damping
The N eigenvectors then can be displayed in a single square matrix, each
column of which is a natural mode :

* (7.9)
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

modal matrix of the system

The N eigenvalues 𝜔𝑛2 can be assembled into a diagonal matrix Ω2 :

(7.10)
By using the modal and spectral matrices, it is possible to assemble the above
relations into a single matrix equation :
(7.11)

* q≡ φjn
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Free vibration of MDF

Systems without damping
The natural modes corresponding to different natural frequencies
satisfy the condition :
(7.12)
for ωn ≠ ωr
The above condition is also known as the orthogonality condition.
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

In the case of j-fold multiple root it is possible to find j modes associated with
this frequency that satisfy the eq.(7.12).
From the above condition it comes that the following square matrices are
diagonal :

(7.13)
The diagonal elements of the above matrices are related by :
Kn = 𝜔𝑛2 𝑀𝑛 (7.14)
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Free vibration of MDF

Systems without damping
Because of the orthgonality condition :
- The work done by the nth mode inertia forces in going through the rth
mode displacements is zero.
(7.15)
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

and
-The work done by the equivalent static forces associated with displacements
in the nth mode in going through the rth mode displacements is zero.

(7.16)
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Free vibration of MDF

Systems without damping
The elements of an eigenvector are known only in a relative sense, their
absolute magnitudes being indeterminate. Therefore it is useful to define
some standard procedure for scaling the eigenvectors. The process of
scaling is called normalization. One possible way of normalizing is to
make the absolute value of largest element in the vector equal to 1.
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

By using the appropriate normalized shapes the eq.(7.13) can be

transformed to :

(7.17)

where δij is the Kronecker delta having the property δij=0, for i=j and δij=1
for i≠j.
The above method of normalization is called the mass orthonormalization.
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Free vibration of MDF

Properties of a linearized eigenvalue problem
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)
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Free vibration of MDF

From the orhtogonality condition occurs that the N eigenvectors are
independent and therefore the vector space of displacements u, of the
MDF is a linear combination of those eigenvectors.
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

(7.18)

where qr is the modal coordinates vector or normal coordinates.

When the modal shapes φr are known the normal coordinates are given by:

(7.19)
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Free vibration of MDF

Solution of the free vibration response for the undamped systems
- From the definition of the problem occurs :
u(t)=φnqn(t) (7.20)
From the above procedure for the eigenvalues the eq. (7.20) becomes :
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

(7.22)
Similarly to the SDF systems the constants An and Bn determined from the
initial conditions. Therefore from eq.(7.22) the velocity of the system is :
(7.23)

And finally :
(7.24)
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Free vibration of MDF

Free vibration of damped systems
In the case of damped systems the equation of motion becomes :

(7.25)
Using eq. (7.18), eq.(7.25) becomes:
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

(7.26)
And by premultiplying eq.(7.26) with ΦΤ gives :

(7.27)
The general form of the damping matrix is
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Free vibration of MDF

Free vibration of damped systems
-Two types of damping systems
- Classical damping systems : Systems where the damping matrix C is
diagonal and therefore the N differential equations forming the problem of
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

free vibration of MDF are uncoupled. Classical modal analysis is

applicable to those systems.
-Non-classical damping systems : Systems with non-diagonal damping
matrix C. Those systems are not amenable to classical modal analysis and
they do not possess the same natural modes as the undamped system.
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Free vibration of MDF

Free vibration of classical damped systems
-In the case of free vibration of classical damped MDF systems the natural
modes are unaffected by damping and therefore the regular procedure for
the determination of natural frequencies and modes is followed.
-By dividing eq.(7.27) with Mn becomes :
2012 CEN301 Structural Dynamics (KTH-03)

(7.28)

Which is the same as the equation for the SDF.

Hence : (7.29)
With nth natural frequency with damping : (7.30)
Upon substitution on eq. (7.20) the total solution is :

(7.31)