Real Modes of Vibration of Building Structures

CEE 421L. Matrix Structural Analysis

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Duke University
Henri P. Gavin
Fall, 2012

1 Mass and Stiffness Matrices

Consider a building frame modeled by a set of rigid, massive floors supported by flexible,
massless columns. This provides the simplest representation of a building for the purposes
of investigating lateral dynamic responses, as produced by earthquakes or strong winds. The
lateral position of the i-th floor with respect to the ground is represented by the variable
ri (t), ki is the lateral stiffness of all the columns in story i, mi is the mass of the i-th floor,
and fi is an external force applied to the i-th floor.
For a three-story building, this kind of representation is shown in Figure 1.

f3
r

m3

k3
m2

f2
r2

m1

f1
r1

k2

k1

11111111111111111
00000000000000000
00000000000000000
11111111111111111
Figure 1. A simplified model of a building frame with massive rigid floors and light flexible
columns.

Exercise 1: Draw free-body diagrams of each floor in this building model, including the restoring forces of the deforming columns and the inertial forces in
the accelerating floors. Balancing forces in the horizontal direction at each floor
will result in three ordinary differential equations, which can be expressed as the
matrix form
Mr(t) + Kr(t) = f (t) ,

r(0) = do ,

r (0) = vo ,

(1)

CEE 421L. Matrix Structural Analysis Duke University Fall 2012 H.P. Gavin

where do and vo are the initial floor displacements and the initial floor velocities.
Show that the mass matrix and stiffness matrix for this three-story building are:

m1 0
0

M = 0 m2 0
0
0 m3

k1 + k2
k2
0

k2 + k3 k3
K = k2
.
0
k3
k3

and

Convince yourself that each of these three ordinary differential equations involves
two or more adjacent floor displacements and because of this, the three differential
equations are inter-related or coupled.
For an n-story building modeled in this way, the mass matrix is diagonal,

M=

m1

0
..
.

m2

..
.
...

0
..
.

0
mn

and the stiffness matrix is tri-diagonal,

k1 + k2
k2

k2 + k3
k2
K=

0
..
.
..
.
..
.
0

k3
0
..
.
..
.
0

0
k3

...
..
.
..
.

k3 + k4 k4
..
..
.
.
k4
..
..
.
.
kn1
..
..
. kn1 kn1 + kn
.
0

0
kn

0
0

..
.

kn

kn

2 Modes of Vibration
In the absence of external forcing, one may presume that the natural response of a
spring-mass system (such as shown in Figure 1 and modeled by equation (1)) is sinusoidal
with frequency n rad/s and a vector of amplitudes r, r = [
r1 r2 r3 ]T . Substituting the
displacements
r(t) = r sin n t ,
and accelerations
r(t) = r n2 sin n t ,
into equation (1) and eliminating sin n t we obtain,
Kr n2 Mr = 0 ,
which may be re-written as the generalized eigenvalue problem,
h

K n2 M r = 0 .

(2)

Modes of Vibration

The square of the natural frequencies are the eigenvalues and the amplitudes of natural
vibration are the associated eigenvectors. As long as M and K are positive definite, the
eigen-values, n2 , are positive. A planar building frame with n rigid floor masses will have n
natural frequencies, ni , and n natural mode shapes, ri , i = 1, . . . , n. For a natural frequency
ni and natural mode shape ri satisfying equation (2), this equation may be pre-multiplied
by rTi to obtain
rT Kri
2
ni
= Ti
,
ri Mri
which is called the Rayleigh quotient for the i-th mode.
Mode vectors are orthogonal with respect to the mass and stiffness matrices. This
means that
(
0 i 6= j
T
ri Mrj =
(3)
mi i = j
and

rTi Krj

0 i 6= j
ki i = j

(4)

2
= ki /mi . The scalar values mi and ki are called the modal mass and modal
so that ni
stiffness for the i-th mode. The n natural mode vectors r1 , . . . , rn may be arranged column
wise into a modal matrix, R,

|
|
=
r1 . . . rn
R
(5)

.
|
|

Exercise 2: Column vectors a, b, c, x, y, and z, have dimension n and matrix

Q is square with dimension n by n. First show that
T

| | |
| | |
aT Qx aT Qy aT Qz

a b c Q x y z = bT Qx bT Qy bT Qz .
| | |
| | |
cT Qx cT Qy cT Qz

Next, use this result along with equations (3), (4), and (5) to show that the n by
T MR
and R
T KR
are diagonal matrices with diagonal elements mi
n matrices R
and ki .

3 Damping
The damping forces experienced by a structure arise from material viscosity, air resistance, and friction within connections. Damping forces dissipate energy and cause the free
(un-forced) response of a structure to decay to zero. When a structure is excited with sinusoidal forces, f (t) = fo cos(t), at a forcing frequency near a natural frequency ( ni ),
a slight amount of damping reduces structural responses significantly. Linear-viscous forces
(fdi = c(ri+1 ri )) may be assembled into a damping matrix C. The matrix form of the n
coupled second order differential equations including viscous damping effects is:
Mr(t) + Cr(t) + Kr(t) = f (t) ,

r(0) = do ,

r (0) = vo ,

(6)

CEE 421L. Matrix Structural Analysis Duke University Fall 2012 H.P. Gavin

where C is a symmetric non-negative definite damping matrix.

In general, mode vectors that are mass-orthogonal and stiffness-orthogonal are not
damping-orthogonal. In many lightly-damped structures, however, the damping may be
approximately modeled by a matrix that is proportional to mass and stiffness,
C = M + K .

(7)

This representation of damping is called Rayleigh damping or proportional damping.

Exercise 3: Show that if the units of all terms in C are N/mm/s, the units of
M is tonnes and the units of K is N/mm, then the unit of is (1/seconds) and
the unit of is seconds.
Exercise 4: Show that if the damping matrix is proportional to the mass and
stiffness matrices (equation (7)), then
(

rTi Crj

ci

0
i 6= j

= mi + ki i = j

(8)

Exercise 5: Use the Matlab programs Rmodes3run.m, Rmodes3analysis.m,

and N dof anim.m , to investigate the effect of different mass and stiffness distributions on the natural mode shapes. For the combinations of mass and stiffness
shown in Table 1, use the Matlab programs to compute natural frequencies and
natural modes. Print the mode-shape plots for the six cases shown in Table 1
and breifly describe how changes in mass and stiffness affect natural modes and
natural frequencies.
Table 1.
case:
m1
m2
m3
k1
k2
k3

Six cases of mass and stiffness distribution.

1
1
1
1
100
1000
1000

2
3
4
1
1
10
1
1
1
1
1
1
1000 1000 1000
100 1000 1000
1000 100 1000

5
1
10
1
1000
1000
1000

6
units
1
tonne
1
tonne
10
tonne
1000 N/mm
1000 N/mm
1000 N/mm

4 Modal Coordinates
At any point in time, the lateral displacement of the floor masses is given by the
vector r(t), r(t) = [r1 (t), r2 (t), , rn (t)]T . Because the set of natural mode vectors fills
the n-dimensional space of floor displacement vectors, the floor displacement vectors can be
written as a weighted sum of the natural mode vectors. See Figure 2.

Modes of Vibration

r22

21

q(

t)

r2(t)
r2(t)

r12
r

r1(t)

11

r1(t)
q(

111111111
000000000
000000000
111111111
000000000
111111111
000000000
111111111

t)

1111111111
0000000000
0000000000
1111111111

r2

Figure 2. At any point in time, the displacements of a two-coordinate system are [r1 (t), r2 (t)].
This point in the r1 r2 plane can be represented by the sum of any two (linearly-independent)
vectors in the r1 r2 plane. The modal vectors [
r1 ,
r2 ] are shown and the point [r1 (t), r2 (t)]
can be expressed as q1 (t) times
r1 plus q2 (t) times
r2 .

r(t) = r1 q1 (t) + r2 q2 (t) + + rn qn (t) ,

or

r1 (t)
r2 (t)
..
.

rn (t)

r11
r21
..
.

q1 (t) +

rn1

r12
r22
..
.

q2 (t) + +

rn2

r1n
r2n
..
.

qn (t)

rnn

or

r1 (t)
r2 (t)
..
.
rn (t)

r11 r12
r21 r22
..
..
..
.
.
.
rn1 rn2

r1n
r2n
..
.

rnn

q1 (t)
q2 (t)
..
.

qn (t)

or
q(t)
r(t) = R

(9)

The vector q(t) is called the vector of modal coordinates.

5 Un-coupled Second Order Differential Equations

Substituting equation (9) into equation (6) results in
q(t) + CR
q(t)

MR
+ KRq(t)
= f (t) ,

1 do ,
q(0) = R

1 vo .

q(0)
=R

Pre-multiplying both sides of this equation by the transpose of the modal matrix results in:
T MR
q(t) + R
T CR
q(t)
T KRq(t)

T f (t) ,

R
+R
=R

1 do ,
q(0) = R

1 vo .

q(0)
=R

CEE 421L. Matrix Structural Analysis Duke University Fall 2012 H.P. Gavin

Because the modal matrix is mass-orthogonal and stiffness-orthogonal, and assuming the
modal matrix is also damping-orthogonal (e.g., the damping is proportional), the equation
above may be written

m1

0
.
.

.
0

0
m2

..
.
..
.
0

0
..
.
0
mn

q (t)
1

q2 (t)

.. +

qn (t)

c1

0
..
.
0

c2

r
11
r12
..

.
r1n

r21
r22
..
.
r2n

..
.
..
.
0

0
..
.
0
cn

q (t)
1

q2 (t)

.. +

rn1
rn2
..
.
rnn

qn (t)

k1

0
..
.
0

k2

..
.
..
.
0

0
..
.
0

kn

q (t)
1
q2 (t)

.. =

.
qn (t)

f (t)
1
f2 (t) ,
..
.
fn (t)

or
mi qi (t) + ci qi (t) + ki qi (t) = rTi f (t)

(10)

for each mode i = 1, . . . , n. This represents n un-coupled second order differential equations
in terms of the modal coordinates qi (t). All of the solutions pertaining to a single degree of
freedom oscillator are relevant to equation (10). Diving both sides of equation (10) by mi ,
qi (t) +

ci
ki
1
q

(t)
+
q (t) = rTi f (t) ,
i

i
mi
mi
mi

or
2
qi (t) + 2i ni qi (t) + ni
qi (t) =

1 T
r f (t) ,
mi i

where i is the damping ratio associated with mode i, and

i =

ci
ci

=
.
cci
2 mi ki

(11)

The analysis of the response r(t) of an n degree of freedom structural system can be reduced
to the analysis of the responses qi (t) of n single degree of freedom systems, which can then be
q(t). In a free vibration, q(t) are sinusoidal
assembled into the system responses by r(t) = R
functions with a single frequency; q1 (t) oscillates only at the first natural frequency, n1 ,
q2 (t) oscillates only at the second natural frequency, n2 , and so on. The free vibration of
the masses, r(t), can involve all the modes of vibration, and can oscillate at all of the natural
frequencies. The elements of the modal coordinate vector represent the amount of each mode
present in the total response.
Exercise 6: Use the Matlab programs Rmodes3run.m, Rmodes3analysis.m,
and N dof anim.m , to determine values of and that will give approximately
5 percent damping in the first mode and approximately 1 percent damping in
the third mode for Cases 2, 4, and 6 shown in Table 1. Does increasing increase the damping in the lower-frequency modes or the higher-frequency modes?
Does increasing increase the damping in the lower-frequency modes or the
higher-frequency modes? Using equations (8) and (11) explain how this observed
dependence of i on and makes sense.

Modes of Vibration

Exercise 7: For the stiffness and mass values from Case 1 of Table 1, do =
[1, 2, 1]T , = 1.0 and = 0.0005, run Rmodes3run.m and zoom in on the
modal displacement plot at t = 1 s and find values for the vector q(1). Next,
zoom in on the floor displacement plot at t = 1 s and find values for the vector

r(1). Compute Rq(1)

and compare the result to r(1).

6 Initial Conditions in Modal Coordinates and Free Response

The initial conditions in modal coordinates are
1 do
q(0) = R

1 vo .

q(0)
=R

and

Because of the mass-orthognality of the natural mode vectors, the inverse modal matrix,
1 , can be found without actually inverting R.

1/m1

so

..

.
1/mn

1 =
R

1/m1

T
R
MR

= In ,

...
1/mn

T
R
M

The initial conditions for the un-coupled second order differential equations in modal coordinates (equation (10)) are therefore
qi (0) =

1 T
r Mdo
mi i

and

qi (0) =

1 T
r Mvo .
mi i

(12)

If the initial velocities are all zero and the initial displacements, do , are proportional to
the i-th natural mode vector, ri , then the free response ensuing from that initial displacement
will consist entirely of the i-th mode, and will have no components from other modes. In
other words, if vo = 0 and do = ari , then qi (0) = 0 for all i, qi (0) = a, and qj (0) = 0 for all
j 6= i.
Exercise 8: Use the Matlab programs Rmodes3run.m, Rmodes3analysis.m,
and N dof anim.m , to investigate this property of natural modes. For the stiffness and mass values from Case 1 of Table 1, set the initial displacement proportional to each of the three mode shape vectors, and observe that the free response
consists almost entirely of that mode. Now select some other set of initial displacements and observe that the free response contains all three modes. Print a
few plots of these mode-shape and free response plots and discuss the results in
a short paragraph.

CEE 421L. Matrix Structural Analysis Duke University Fall 2012 H.P. Gavin

7 Explore!
Exercise 9: Use the Matlab programs Matlab programs Rmodes3run.m,
Rmodes3analysis.m, and N dof anim.m , to explore the effects of very large and
very small values of mass, damping, and stiffness. What happens if you increase
and/or so that the damping is more than 100 percent? What happens if
is positive and is slightly negative, and vice-versa? What happens if one of
the stiffness coefficients is much much larger than the other coefficients? What
happens if one of the stiffness coefficients is slightly negative? What happens if
one of the mass coefficients is very negative?