Damping in Structures

Formulation of Damping in FEM

Types of Damping
Damping Measurement Methods

Yavuz Kaya

May 2025
OUTLINE

1. Damping in structures
a. Material damping
b. Viscous damping
2. Formulation of damping in structural analysis software
a. Classical Damping
b. Non-classical damping
c. Rayleigh Damping
d. Caughey Damping - Extended Rayleigh Damping
3. Damping measurement methods
a. Logarithmic decrement method
b. Random decrement method
4. Examples
What is the Damping ?
Damping is a dissipation of energy from a vibrating structure (e.g., bridge, building). The term
dissipate is used to mean the transformation of mechanical energy into other forms of energy;
therefore, a removal of mechanical energy from the vibrating structure.

• Damping is the conversion of mechanical energy of a structure into thermal energy.

• The amount of energy dissipated is a measure of the structure’s damping level.
• Damping is very important with earthquakes because it dissipates the destructive energy of an
earthquake which will help reduce the damage to structures (buildings, bridges, etc.).

Types of Damping
1. Coulomb or Dry Friction Damping
2. Viscous damping
3. Material (Solid or Hysteretic) Damping
4. Structural Damping
5. Radiation Damping
6. Magnetic Damping
7. Impact Damping
Viscous Damping
Viscous damping is a type of damping in which the damping force is proportional to the velocity
of the moving object. It occurs when an object moves through a fluid (e.g., air or water) or when
a mechanical system includes a damper (e.g., shock absorber). The resistance comes from the
friction or drag between the object and the fluid, or within the damper itself, which dissipates
energy as heat.
𝑭𝒅 𝒕 = 𝑪 ∙ 𝒖ሶ 𝒕

𝑭𝒅 𝒕 ​ is the damping force, 𝑪 is the damping coefficient, and 𝒖ሶ 𝒕 is the velocity.

𝑴 ∙ 𝒖ሷ 𝒕 + 𝑪 ∙ 𝒖ሶ 𝒕 + 𝑲 ∙ 𝒖 𝒕 = 𝒑 𝒕

MDOF systems are modeled with differential equations. Viscous damping keeps these equations
linear, making it easier to solve analytically or numerically.
 Material (Solid), Hysteretic Damping
• Material damping is a type of damping that comes from the inherent properties of a material itself
as it deforms under stress. Unlike viscous damping or Coulomb (friction) damping, material
damping happens within the solid structure—think of it as the material “fighting” its own
deformation, dissipating energy as heat through internal friction or molecular interactions.
• In structural dynamics, material damping is trickier to pin down mathematically than viscous
damping because it is not directly tied to velocity. Instead, it is often proportional to the
deformation (strain) or stress, and it does not depend on the frequency of vibration. Two common
ways to model material damping:

Hysteretic Damping
Assumes the damping force is proportional to displacement but out of phase with velocity. Often
represented as a complex stiffness: 𝒌∗ = 𝒌 𝟏 + 𝒊𝜼 , and 𝜼 is the loss factor (0.01–0.05 for concrete)
the ratio of energy dissipated to the maximum elastic energy stored per cycle. The equation of
motion becomes frequency-independent, and energy loss per cycle is constant, not tied to velocity like
viscous damping.
𝑴 ∙ 𝒖ሷ 𝒕 + 𝑲 ∙ 𝒊 ∙ 𝜼 ∙ 𝒖 𝒕 + 𝑲 ∙ 𝒖 𝒕 = 𝐏 𝒕

Equivalent Viscous Damping

Engineers often approximate material damping as an “equivalent” viscous damping coefficient,
𝑪𝒆𝒒 = 𝜼𝒌Τ𝝎 based on energy dissipation, and 𝝎 is vibration frequency. This lets us to use the
following general equation of motion:

𝑴 ∙ 𝒖ሷ 𝒕 + 𝑪 ∙ 𝒖ሶ 𝒕 + 𝑲 ∙ 𝒖 𝒕 = 𝒑 𝒕
 F F
Strain Energy lost per cycle
Material (hysteretic ) damping

E=F.x Strain Energy

E: Starin Energy Recovered
E E

Extension, x 𝒖 Extension, x
E
Truly Linear-elastic Behaviour

𝜼 loss factor (0.01–0.05 for concrete) the ratio of

• Temperature of the material increases
energy dissipated to the maximum elastic energy • Fatigue will form in the material
stored per cycle

𝒌 elastic stiffness of the system. E : Strain energy lost during each cycle
It is converted to temperature
𝒖 amplitude of displacement
 Material Damping and Viscous Damping
Consider a SDOF system under harmonic motion with complex stiffness (steady-state):

F Strain Energy lost per cycle

F Strain Energy lost per cycle
𝑬𝒅 = 𝝅 ∙ 𝜼 ∙ 𝒌 ∙ 𝒖𝟐 𝑬𝒅 = 𝝅 ∙ 𝒄 ∙ 𝝎 ∙ 𝒖𝟐

𝑬𝒅 𝑬𝒅
𝒖
x x
𝒖

𝐦𝒖ሷ 𝒕 + 𝒌 𝟏 + 𝒊𝜼 𝒖 𝒕 = 𝑨 ∙ 𝑪𝒐𝒔 𝝎𝒕 𝐦𝒖ሷ 𝒕 + 𝐜𝒖ሶ 𝒕 + 𝒌𝒖 𝒕 = 𝑨 ∙ 𝑪𝒐𝒔 𝝎𝒕

Frequency Independent Frequency dependent

𝝅 ∙ 𝜼 ∙ 𝒌 ∙ 𝒖𝟐 = 𝝅 ∙ 𝑪𝒆𝒒 ∙ 𝝎 ∙ 𝒖𝟐
If the SDOF system is vibrating at resonance 𝝎 = 𝝎𝒏 :
𝜼𝒌 𝜼
𝑪𝒆𝒒 =
𝝎
𝝃𝒆𝒒 =
𝟐
Result: The equivalent viscous damping ratio is half the loss factor, assuming the system vibrates
near its natural frequency
 m=1
Non-Classically Damped MDOF Systems
M ∙ 𝑢ሷ 𝑡 + 𝐶 ∙ 𝑢ሶ 𝑡 + 𝐾 ∙ 𝑢 𝑡 = 𝑝 𝑡
k = 1, c = 4 0.82 0.58

m=2 𝟐 𝟎 𝟑 −𝟏 𝟓 −𝟒
𝐌= 𝐊= 𝐂= 0.41
𝟎 𝟏 −𝟏 𝟏 −𝟒 𝟒
k = 2, c = 1 + 0.58

𝑲 − 𝝎𝟐 ∙ 𝑴 ∙ 𝜱 = 𝟎 −𝟎. 𝟒𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟓𝟖
𝜱=
−𝟎. 𝟖𝟐 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖

𝒈
𝑴∗𝟏 𝑼ሷ 𝟏 𝒕 + 𝑪∗𝟏 𝑼ሶ 𝟏 𝒕 + 𝑲∗𝟏 𝑼𝟏 𝒕 = −𝑳∗𝒙𝟏 𝒖ሷ 𝒙 𝒕
−𝟎. 𝟒𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟐 𝟐 𝟎 −𝟎. 𝟒𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟏. 𝟎 𝟎
𝑴 ∗ = 𝜱𝑻 ∙ 𝑴 ∙ 𝜱 = ∙ ∙ = Modal Mass
−𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎 𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟐 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎 𝟏. 𝟎
−𝟎. 𝟒𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟐 𝟑 −𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟒𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎. 𝟓𝟎 𝟎
𝑲∗ = 𝜱𝑻 ∙ 𝑲 ∙ 𝜱 = ∙ ∙ = Modal Stiffness
−𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 −𝟏 𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟐 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎 𝟐. 𝟎
−𝟎. 𝟒𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟐 𝟓 −𝟒 −𝟎. 𝟒𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟑 −𝟏. 𝟔𝟓
𝑪∗ = 𝜱𝑻 ∙ 𝑪 ∙ 𝜱 = ∙ ∙ = Modal Damping
−𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 −𝟒 𝟒 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟐 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 −𝟏. 𝟔𝟓 𝟓. 𝟔𝟕

𝟏. 𝟎 𝟎 𝒖ሷ −𝟎. 𝟖𝟑 −𝟏. 𝟔𝟓 𝒖ሶ 𝟏 𝟎. 𝟓𝟎 𝟎 𝒖𝟏 𝟎
∙ 𝟏 + ∙ + ∙ 𝒖 =
𝟎 𝟏. 𝟎 𝒖ሷ 𝟐 −𝟏. 𝟔𝟓 𝟓. 𝟔𝟕 𝒖ሶ 𝟐 𝟎 𝟐. 𝟎 𝟐 𝟎

𝟏. 𝟎 ∙ 𝒖ሷ 𝟏 − 𝟎. 𝟖𝟑 ∙ 𝒖ሶ 𝟏 − 𝟏. 𝟔𝟓 ∙ 𝒖ሶ 𝟐 + 𝟎. 𝟓𝟎 ∙ 𝒖𝟏 = 𝟎
Coupled Equations 𝝃𝟏 =? ?
𝟏. 𝟎 ∙ 𝒖ሷ 𝟐 − 𝟏. 𝟔𝟓 ∙ 𝒖ሶ 𝟏 + 𝟓. 𝟔𝟕 ∙ 𝒖ሶ 𝟐 + 𝟐. 𝟎𝟎 ∙ 𝒖𝟐 = 𝟎
 Classically Damped MDOF Systems
m=1
M ∙ 𝑢ሷ 𝑡 + 𝐶 ∙ 𝑢ሶ 𝑡 + 𝐾 ∙ 𝑢 𝑡 = 𝑝 𝑡
k = 1, c = 2 0.82 0.58

m=2 𝟐 𝟎 𝟑 −𝟏 𝟔 −𝟐
𝐌= 𝐊= 𝐂= 0.41
𝟎 𝟏 −𝟏 𝟏 −𝟐 𝟐
k = 2, c = 4 + 0.58

𝑲 − 𝝎𝟐 ∙ 𝑴 ∙ 𝜱 = 𝟎 −𝟎. 𝟒𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟓𝟖
𝜱=
−𝟎. 𝟖𝟐 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖

𝒈
𝑴∗𝟏 𝑼ሷ 𝟏 𝒕 + 𝑪∗𝟏 𝑼ሶ 𝟏 𝒕 + 𝑲∗𝟏 𝑼𝟏 𝒕 = −𝑳∗𝒙𝟏 𝒖ሷ 𝒙 𝒕
−𝟎. 𝟒𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟐 𝟐 𝟎 −𝟎. 𝟒𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟏. 𝟎 𝟎
𝑴 ∗ = 𝜱𝑻 ∙ 𝑴 ∙ 𝜱 = ∙ ∙ = Modal Mass
−𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎 𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟐 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎 𝟏. 𝟎
−𝟎. 𝟒𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟐 𝟑 −𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟒𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎. 𝟓𝟎 𝟎
𝑲∗ = 𝜱𝑻 ∙ 𝑲 ∙ 𝜱 = ∙ ∙ = Modal Stiffness
−𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 −𝟏 𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟐 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎 𝟐. 𝟎
−𝟎. 𝟒𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟐 𝟔 −𝟐 −𝟎. 𝟒𝟏 −𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 −𝟏. 𝟎𝟎 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎
𝑪∗ = 𝜱𝑻 ∙ 𝑪 ∙ 𝜱 = ∙ ∙ = Modal Damping
−𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 −𝟐 𝟐 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟐 𝟎. 𝟓𝟖 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎 𝟒. 𝟎𝟎

𝟏. 𝟎 𝟎 𝒖ሷ −𝟏. 𝟎𝟎 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎 𝒖ሶ 𝟏 𝟎. 𝟓𝟎 𝟎 𝒖𝟏 𝟎
∙ 𝟏 + ∙ + ∙ 𝒖 =
𝟎 𝟏. 𝟎 𝒖ሷ 𝟐 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎 𝟒. 𝟎𝟎 𝒖ሶ 𝟐 𝟎 𝟐. 𝟎 𝟐 𝟎

𝟏. 𝟎 ∙ 𝒖ሷ 𝟏 − 𝟏. 𝟎𝟎 ∙ 𝒖ሶ 𝟏 + 𝟎. 𝟓𝟎 ∙ 𝒖𝟏 = 𝟎 𝑪∗𝟏
𝟏. 𝟎 ∙ 𝒖ሷ 𝟐 + 𝟒. 𝟎𝟎 ∙ 𝒖ሶ 𝟐 + 𝟐. 𝟎𝟎 ∙ 𝒖𝟐 = 𝟎
Uncoupled Equations 𝝃𝟏 =
𝟐𝑴∗𝟏 𝝎𝟏
 𝑵

M ∙ 𝑢ሷ 𝑡 + 𝐶 ∙ 𝑢ሶ 𝑡 + 𝐾 ∙ 𝑢 𝑡 = 𝑝 𝑡 𝒖 𝒕 = ෍ 𝚽𝒏 ∙ 𝑼𝒏 (𝒕)
𝒏=𝟏

Pre-multiplying by T

𝑴∗𝑵 ∙ 𝑼ሷ 𝑵 𝒕 + 𝑪∗𝑵 ∙ 𝑼ሶ 𝑵 𝒕 + 𝑲∗𝑵 ∙ 𝑼𝑵 𝒕 = 𝟎

𝑪∗𝑵 = 𝜱𝐓 ∙ 𝑪 ∙ 𝜱

Classically Damped System Non-classically Damped System

Diagonal Non-diagonal
Viscous Damping Not Viscous Damping
• Similar mechanisms are distributed throughout • Structure might have viscous damping in
the system; for example, a multistory building some parts and other forms (like hysteretic
with a similar structural system and structural or frictional damping) in others, leading to a
materials over its height. Proportional damping non-proportional damping matrix
matrix.
• Equation of motion for each mode is uncoupled. • Equation of motion for each mode is
coupled.
1. Rayleigh Damping
2. Caughey Damping Numerical Solutions
1. Central Difference Method
2. Newmark’s Method
Classically Damped System
• Damping can be represented in a way that allows the MDOF equations of motion to be decoupled
into independent modal equations using the system's natural modes of vibration.
• This is typically achieved when the damping matrix is proportional to the mass and/or stiffness
matrices—a condition known as proportional damping or Rayleigh damping.

• The damping matrix 𝑪 can be expressed as a linear combination of the mass matrix 𝑀 and
stiffness matrix 𝐾 : 𝑪 = 𝜶 ∙ 𝑴 + 𝜷 ∙ 𝑲 α and β are constants

• The MDOF modes of vibration remain orthogonal, and the modal analysis approach can still be
applied effectively

Examples:
• A simple SDOF system with viscous damping where the damper is proportional to the mass or
stiffness.
• Structures with uniform material damping properties

Advantages:
• Simpler to analyze mathematically because the equations of motion can be diagonalized.
• Commonly assumed in structural dynamics for convenience unless evidence suggests otherwise.
Non-Classically Damped System
• Damping cannot be represented as proportional to mass and stiffness matrices.

• The damping matrix 𝐶 is more general and does not allow the equation of motion to be
decoupled using undamped mode shapes.

Examples:
• Structures with concentrated dampers (e.g., a tuned mass damper on a building)
• Composite systems with different damping properties in different components (e.g., a metal
frame with rubber isolators)
• Soil-structure interaction problems where the soil and structure damp differently

Challenges:
• Requires more advanced techniques like state-space analysis or numerical methods to solve
the equations of motion
• The response may include non-oscillatory components or coupled behavior that’s harder to
predict
𝑴 ∙ 𝒖ሷ 𝒕 + 𝑪 ∙ 𝒖ሶ 𝒕 + 𝑲 ∙ 𝒖 𝒕 = 𝒑 𝒕

HOW TO FORM [ C ] MATRIX ?

VISCOUS DAMPING
Rayleigh Damping

Mass proportional damping Stiffness proportional damping

Unit a0: sec-1 Unit a1: sec

𝐂 = 𝒂𝟎 ∙ 𝑴 𝐂 = 𝒂𝟏 ∙ 𝑲

Energy dissipation mechanism is Energy dissipation arising from story

related to the inertial properties of deformations
the moving mass.
Mass Proportional Damping Stiffness Proportional Damping
𝟏. 𝟎 𝟎
𝑪𝒏 = 𝒂𝟎 ∙ 𝑴𝐧 = 𝒂𝟎 ∙ 0.50 𝟎
𝟎 𝟏. 𝟎 𝑪𝒏 = 𝒂𝟏 ∙ 𝑲𝐧 = 𝒂𝟏 ∙ 𝝎𝟐𝒏 ∙ 𝑴𝒏 = 𝒂𝟏 ∙
𝟎 𝟐

𝑪𝒏 𝒂𝟎 𝟏 𝒂𝟏 ∙ 𝝎𝒏
𝝃𝒏 = 𝝃𝒏 = ∙ 𝝃𝒏 =
𝟐 ∙ 𝝎𝒏 ∙ 𝑴𝒏 𝟐 𝝎𝒏 𝟐

n n 𝐂 = 𝒂𝟏 ∙ 𝑲
𝐂 = 𝒂𝟎 ∙ 𝑴
𝝃𝒏 = 𝒂𝟏 ∙ 𝝎𝒏 /𝟐
𝝃𝒏 = 𝒂𝟎 /𝟐𝝎𝒏 3
1 2
2
3 1
n n
1 2 3 1 2 3

Damping ratio is inversely proportional to the Damping ratio is proportional to the

natural frequency (period) natural frequency (period)

Both are classically damped

 Mass and Stiffness Proportional Damping
𝑪 = 𝒂𝟎 ∙ 𝑴 + 𝒂𝟏 ∙ 𝑲
n
Rayleigh damping 𝟐 𝟎 𝟑 −𝟏
𝑪 = 𝒂𝟎 ∙ + 𝒂𝟏 ∙
𝟎 𝟏 −𝟏 𝟏
i
𝒂𝟎 𝒂𝟏 ∙ 𝝎 𝒊
j 𝝃𝒊 = +
𝟐𝝎𝒊 𝟐

𝒂𝟎 𝒂𝟏 ∙ 𝝎 𝒋
𝝃𝒋 = +
n 𝟐𝝎𝒋 𝟐
i j
𝟏 𝟏/𝝎𝒊 𝝎𝒊 𝒂𝟎 𝝃𝒊
𝟐 𝟏/𝝎𝒋 𝝎𝒋 𝒂𝟏 = 𝝃𝒋

In applying this procedure to a practical problem, the modes i and j with specified damping ratio
should be chosen to ensure reasonable values for the damping ratios in all modes contributing
significantly to the response
𝑪 = 𝒂𝟎 ∙ 𝑴 + 𝒂𝟏 ∙ 𝑲
𝟏 𝟏/𝝎𝒊 𝝎𝒊 𝒂𝟎 𝝃𝒊
𝟐 𝟏/𝝎𝒋 𝝎𝒋 𝒂𝟏 = 𝝃𝒋
m=1 𝟏 𝟎 𝟎 𝟏𝟐𝟐𝟎 −𝟔𝟏𝟎 𝟎
𝐌= 𝟎 𝟏 𝟎 𝐊 = −𝟔𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟐𝟐𝟎 −𝟔𝟏𝟎
k = 610
𝟎 𝟎 𝟏 𝟎 −𝟔𝟏𝟎 𝟔𝟏𝟎
m=1
k = 610 𝑲 − 𝝎𝟐 ∙ 𝑴 ∙ 𝜱 = 𝟎
m=1
−𝟎. 𝟑𝟐𝟖𝟎 𝟎. 𝟕𝟑𝟕𝟎 −𝟎. 𝟓𝟗𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟎. 𝟗𝟗 𝟎 𝟎
𝜱 = −𝟎. 𝟓𝟗𝟏𝟎 𝟎. 𝟑𝟐𝟖𝟎 𝟎. 𝟕𝟑𝟕𝟎 𝝎= 𝟎 𝟑𝟎. 𝟖𝟎 𝟎
k = 610 𝟎 𝟎 𝟒𝟒. 𝟓𝟏
−𝟎. 𝟕𝟑𝟕𝟎 −𝟎. 𝟓𝟗𝟏𝟎 −𝟎. 𝟑𝟐𝟖𝟎

Assumption: 𝟏 𝟏/𝝎𝒊 𝝎𝒊 𝒂𝟎 𝝃𝒊
𝟐 𝟏/𝝎𝒋 𝝎𝒋 𝒂𝟏 = 𝝃𝒋 𝒂𝟎
1st mode damping: 0.05 𝟎. 𝟖𝟏𝟎𝟏
𝒂𝟏 =
𝟏 𝟏/𝟏𝟎. 𝟗𝟗 𝟏𝟎. 𝟗𝟗 𝒂𝟎 𝟎. 𝟎𝟓 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟐𝟒
2nd mode damping: 0.05 =
𝟐 𝟏/𝟑𝟎. 𝟖𝟎 𝟑𝟎. 𝟖𝟎 𝒂𝟏 𝟎. 𝟎𝟓

𝟏 𝟎 𝟎 𝟏𝟐𝟐𝟎 𝟎 𝟎 𝟑. 𝟕𝟐𝟗𝟒 −𝟏. 𝟒𝟓𝟗𝟕 𝟎

𝑪 = 𝒂𝟎 ∙ 𝑴 + 𝒂𝟏 ∙ 𝑲 = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟏𝟎𝟏 ∙ 𝟎 𝟏 𝟎 + 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟐𝟒 ∙ 𝟎 𝟏𝟐𝟐𝟎 −𝟔𝟏𝟎 = −𝟏. 𝟒𝟓𝟗𝟕 𝟑. 𝟕𝟐𝟗𝟒 −𝟏. 𝟒𝟓𝟗𝟕
𝟎 𝟎 𝟏 𝟎 −𝟔𝟏𝟎 𝟔𝟏𝟎 𝟎 −𝟏. 𝟒𝟓𝟗𝟕 𝟐. 𝟐𝟔𝟗𝟕

𝒂𝟎 𝒂𝟏 𝝎𝟑 𝟎. 𝟖𝟏𝟎𝟏 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟐𝟒 ∙ 𝟒𝟒. 𝟓𝟏

𝝃𝟑 = + = + = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟔𝟐𝟓
𝟐𝝎𝟑 𝟐 𝟐 𝟒𝟒. 𝟓𝟏 𝟐
 m=1 𝝃𝒏
Rayleigh damping
k = 610

m=1
𝝃𝟑 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟔𝟐𝟓
k = 610
𝝃𝟏,𝟐 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟓𝟎𝟎
m=1

k = 610

𝝎𝒏
𝝎𝟏 𝝎𝟐 𝝎𝟑

𝟏 𝟎 𝟎 𝟏𝟐𝟐𝟎 𝟎 𝟎 𝟑. 𝟕𝟒𝟖𝟏 −𝟏. 𝟒𝟔𝟒𝟎 𝟎

𝑪 = 𝒂𝟎 ∙ 𝑴 + 𝒂𝟏 ∙ 𝑲 = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟏𝟎𝟏 ∙ 𝟎 𝟏 𝟎 + 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟐𝟒 ∙ 𝟎 𝟏𝟐𝟐𝟎 −𝟔𝟏𝟎 = −𝟏. 𝟒𝟔𝟒𝟎 𝟑. 𝟕𝟑𝟖𝟏 −𝟏. 𝟒𝟔𝟒𝟎
𝟎 𝟎 𝟏 𝟎 −𝟔𝟏𝟎 𝟔𝟏𝟎 𝟎 −𝟏. 𝟒𝟔𝟒𝟎 𝟐. 𝟐𝟕𝟒𝟎

𝒂𝟎 𝟎. 𝟖𝟏𝟎𝟏
Assumption =
1st mode: 0.05 𝒂𝟏 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟐𝟒
2nd mode: 0.05
3rd mode: 0.0625
𝒂𝟎 𝒂𝟏 𝝎𝟑 𝟎. 𝟖𝟏𝟎𝟏 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟐𝟒 ∙ 𝟒𝟒. 𝟓𝟏
𝝃𝟑 = + = + = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟔𝟐𝟓
𝟐𝝎𝟑 𝟐 𝟐 𝟒𝟒. 𝟓𝟏 𝟐
 m=1 𝝃𝒏
Rayleigh damping
k = 610

m=1 𝝃𝟏 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟗𝟎𝟏
k = 610
𝝃𝟐,𝟑 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟓𝟎𝟎
m=1

k = 610

𝝎𝒏
𝝎𝟏 𝝎𝟐 𝝎𝟑

𝟏 𝟎 𝟎 𝟏𝟐𝟐𝟎 𝟎 𝟎 𝟑. 𝟒𝟒𝟎𝟑 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟏𝟎𝟏 𝟎

𝑪 = 𝒂𝟎 ∙ 𝑴 + 𝒂𝟏 ∙ 𝑲 = 𝟎. 𝟖𝟐𝟎𝟐 ∙ 𝟎 𝟏 𝟎 + 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟏𝟑 ∙ 𝟎 𝟏𝟐𝟐𝟎 −𝟔𝟏𝟎 = −𝟎. 𝟖𝟏𝟎𝟏 𝟑. 𝟒𝟒𝟎𝟑 −𝟖. 𝟖𝟏𝟎𝟏
𝟎 𝟎 𝟏 𝟎 −𝟔𝟏𝟎 𝟔𝟏𝟎 𝟎 −𝟎. 𝟖𝟏𝟎𝟏 𝟐. 𝟔𝟑𝟎𝟑

𝒂𝟎 𝟏. 𝟖𝟐𝟎𝟐
Assumption =
1st mode: 0.0901 𝒂𝟏 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟏𝟑
2nd mode: 0.05
3rd mode: 0.05
𝒂𝟎 𝒂𝟏 𝝎𝟏 𝟏. 𝟖𝟐𝟎𝟐 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟏𝟑 ∙ 𝟏𝟎. 𝟗𝟗
𝝃𝟏 = + = + = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟗𝟎𝟏
𝟐𝝎𝟏 𝟐 𝟐 𝟏𝟎. 𝟗𝟗 𝟐
Caughey Damping - Extended Rayleigh Damping
𝑁−1
𝑛 0 1 2
𝐶 = 𝑀 ෍ 𝑎𝑛 𝑀−1 𝐾 =𝑀 𝑎0 𝑀−1 𝐾 + 𝑎1 𝑀−1 𝐾 + 𝑎2 𝑀−1 𝐾 + ...
𝑛=0

If we consider only first two components;

𝑁−1
𝑛
𝐶 = 𝑀 ෍ 𝑎𝑛 𝑀−1 𝐾 = 𝑎0 𝑀 + 𝑎1 𝐾 Rayleigh Damping
𝑛=0

If we wish to specify the damping ratios for J modes of an N-DOF system;

𝐽−1 𝐽−1
𝑛 1
𝐶 = 𝑀 ෍ 𝑎𝑛 𝑀−1 𝐾 𝜉𝑛 = ෍ 𝑎𝑛 𝜔𝑛2𝑛−1
2
𝑛=0 𝑛=0

In this method, damping ratio may be negative, which is unrealistic because it implies
free vibration response that grows with time instead of decaying with time.
 Caughey Damping - Extended Rayleigh Damping

n n

j j

n n
1 2 3 4 1 2 3

Damping may decrease monolithically with increasing frequencies, and negative damping
ratios are indicated for all the highest modal frequencies
m=1 𝟏 𝟎 𝟎 𝟏𝟐𝟐𝟎 −𝟔𝟏𝟎 𝟎
𝐌= 𝟎 𝟏 𝟎 𝐊 = −𝟔𝟏𝟎 𝟏𝟐𝟐𝟎 −𝟔𝟏𝟎
k = 610
𝟎 𝟎 𝟏 𝟎 −𝟔𝟏𝟎 𝟔𝟏𝟎
m=1
k = 610 𝑲 − 𝝎𝟐 ∙ 𝑴 ∙ 𝜱 = 𝟎

m=1 𝟏𝟎. 𝟗𝟗 𝟎 𝟎
−𝟎. 𝟑𝟐𝟖𝟎 𝟎. 𝟕𝟑𝟕𝟎 −𝟎. 𝟓𝟗𝟏𝟎
𝜱 = −𝟎. 𝟓𝟗𝟏𝟎 𝟎. 𝟑𝟐𝟖𝟎 𝟎. 𝟕𝟑𝟕𝟎 𝝎= 𝟎 𝟑𝟎. 𝟖𝟎 𝟎
k = 610 −𝟎. 𝟕𝟑𝟕𝟎 −𝟎. 𝟓𝟗𝟏𝟎 −𝟎. 𝟑𝟐𝟖𝟎 𝟎 𝟎 𝟒𝟒. 𝟓𝟏

Assumption 𝟏/𝝎𝟏 𝝎𝟏 𝝎𝟑𝟏 𝒂𝟎 𝟎. 𝟕𝟒𝟒𝟒

𝒂𝟎 𝝃𝟏
1st mode damping: 0.05 𝟏 𝒂𝟏 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟑𝟎
𝟏/𝝎𝟐 𝝎𝟐 𝝎𝟑𝟐 𝒂𝟏 = 𝝃𝟐
𝒂𝟐
2nd mode damping: 0.05 𝟐 𝒂𝟐 −𝟓. 𝟕𝟐𝟔𝒆 − 𝟕
𝟏/𝝎𝟑 𝝎𝟑 𝝎𝟑𝟑 𝝃𝟑
3rd mode damping: 0.05

𝟏/𝟏𝟎. 𝟗𝟗 𝟏𝟎. 𝟗𝟗 𝟏𝟎. 𝟗𝟗𝟑 𝒂𝟎 𝟎. 𝟎𝟓

𝟏
𝟏/𝟑𝟎. 𝟖𝟎 𝟑𝟎. 𝟖𝟖 𝟑𝟎. 𝟖𝟖𝟑 𝒂𝟏 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟓
𝟐 𝒂𝟐
𝟏/𝟒𝟒. 𝟓𝟏 𝟒𝟒. 𝟓𝟏 𝟒𝟒. 𝟓𝟏𝟑 𝟎. 𝟎𝟓

𝑱−𝟏
𝒏
𝟑. 𝟑𝟒𝟓𝟓 −𝟎. 𝟗𝟖𝟎𝟗 −𝟎. 𝟐𝟏𝟑𝟏
−𝟏 −𝟏
𝑪 = 𝑴 ෍ 𝒂𝒏 𝑴 𝑲 = 𝒂𝟎 𝑴 + 𝒂𝟏 𝑲 + 𝒂𝟐 𝑲𝑴 𝑲 = −𝟎. 𝟗𝟖𝟎𝟗 𝟑. 𝟏𝟑𝟐𝟒 −𝟏. 𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟎
𝒏=𝟎 −𝟎. 𝟐𝟏𝟑𝟏 −𝟏. 𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟎 𝟐. 𝟏𝟓𝟏𝟓
 Steel frame
=0.02

Concrete frame
=0.05

Steel frame
𝑪𝒔
[𝑪 ] =
Concrete frame
𝑪𝒄

Concrete frame
𝑪𝒄 = 𝒂𝟎,𝒄 ∙ 𝑴𝒄 + 𝒂𝟏,𝒄 ∙ 𝑲𝒄

Steel frame
𝑪𝒔 = 𝒂𝟎,𝑺 ∙ 𝑴𝑺 + 𝒂𝟏,𝑺 ∙ 𝑲𝑺
Structure Foundation
𝑪𝒔 = 𝒂𝟎,𝒔 ∙ 𝑴𝒔 + 𝒂𝟏,𝒔 ∙ 𝑲𝒔 𝑪𝒇 = 𝒂𝟎,𝒇 ∙ 𝑴𝒇 + 𝒂𝟏,𝒇 ∙ 𝑲𝒇
 Damping Measurement Methods

1. Logarithmic decrement method

2. Half-power bandwidth method

Stationary is strictly required

3. Random decrement method

Stationary is not necessarily required
Approximate for amplitude dependent phenomena
Each natural mode should be clearly separated
Reduction in the stiffness of the structure. However, following the earthquake, recovery of the structural
stiffness is observed.

Whether this recovery is complete or only partial, it appears to depend on how strongly the structure was
excited by earthquakes.

These are all indications of the complexity of the behavior of actual structures during earthquakes
 LOGARITHMIC DECREMENT METHOD
Free vibration response of SDOF to initial conditions
Displacement u(t)
v(0)
m
U1 e -   t
U2
U3
U4 k,c
u(0)
Time

TD

Damped free vibration

Logarithmic decrement is defined as the natural logarithm of the ratio of any two
successive peak amplitudes

𝑢𝑖 𝑒 −𝜉𝜔𝑛 𝑡𝑖 𝐴1 cos 𝜔𝐷 𝑡 + 𝐵1 sin 𝜔𝐷 𝑡

= = 𝑒 𝜉𝜔𝑛 𝑇𝐷
𝑢𝑖+1 𝑒 −𝜉𝜔𝑛(𝑡𝑖+𝑇𝐷൯ 𝐴1 cos 𝜔𝐷 𝑡 + 𝐵1 sin 𝜔𝐷 𝑡
If 𝜉 is small enough !
𝑢𝑖 2𝜋 2𝜋𝜉 𝛿 = 2𝜋𝜉
𝛿 = ln = 𝜉𝜔𝑛 𝑇𝐷 = 𝜉𝜔𝑛 =
𝑢𝑖+1 𝜔𝑛 1 − 𝜉 2 1 − 𝜉2 𝛿
𝜉=
2𝜋
 LOGARITHMIC DECREMENT METHOD
Free vibration response of SDOF to initial conditions
Displacement u(t)
v(0)
m
U1 e -   t
U2
U3
U4 k,c
u(0)
Time

TD

Damped free vibration

The logarithmic decrement is dimensionless damping ratio

𝑢1 𝑢1 𝑢2 𝑢𝑗 1 𝑢1
= ⋯ 𝛿= ln = 2𝜋𝜉
𝑢𝑗+1 𝑢2 𝑢3 𝑢𝑗+1 𝑗 𝑢𝑗+1
 RANDOM DECREMENT TECHNIQUE
u(t) = a Free Decay Motion
u(t) 1.2

1
5

Free decays only contains

0.8

0.6

0
information about the
0.4

0.2 structure (not the random

0

-0.2
-5
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
load)
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000

𝑢 0 and 𝑢ሶ 0
Gaussian White Noise

to 𝑁
1
𝐷𝑥𝑥 𝜏 = ෍ 𝑢 𝑡𝑖 + 𝜏 ȁ𝑢 𝑡𝑖 = 𝑎
𝑁𝑟
𝑖=1

The response of a system to random input loads, in each “ What happens if a time segment
time instant t, is composed by three parts: is picked out when the random
1- the response to an initial displacement; response 𝑢 𝑡𝑖 has an initial
2- the response to an initial velocity displacement, say 𝑢 𝑡𝑖 =a, and
3- the response to the random input loads between the these time segments are
initial state and the time instant t averaged? “
Random Decrement Technique

a = 0.0414
N = 2258

18-story tall (53m) wood building @ UBC Campus

Sensor #8 – 20 minutes of ambient vibration recording

(June 3rd, 2016) (19 Celsius degree)

Threshold for RD technique is chosen as 1 standard

deviation of the recorded signal (0.0414)

Total number of crossing to this threshold is 2258

Random Decrement Technique (Estimation by SDOF Fitting)

a = 0.0414
N = 2258
 Random Decrement Technique (Estimation by SDOF Fitting)

1 𝑢1 𝑢𝑗 𝑢𝑗+1 Damping Ratio

𝜉= ln 1 0.03849 0.03334 0.023 (2.3%)
𝑗2𝜋 𝑢𝑗+1
Random Decrement Technique

Seymour Falls Dam

It is situated in a narrowing of the Seymour River
valley and immediately upstream of the Lower
Seymour Conservation Reserve and Seymour
River Fish Hatchery

The dam is owned and operated by Metro

Vancouver (Greater Vancouver Water District).
The concrete portion of the dam is approximately
30 meters high from its base.

Ambient Vibration test was conducted on

October 18th, 2016

Record duration: 32 minutes long

Ambient Temperature: 19 Celsius degree

Random Decrement Technique

a = 0.00337
N = 6373
Random Decrement Technique
a = 0.00337
N = 6373
 Random Decrement Technique

1 𝑢1 𝑢𝑗 𝑢𝑗+1 Damping Ratio

𝜉= ln 1 0.0003556 0.00004759 0.107 (11%)
𝑗2𝜋 𝑢𝑗+1