CHAPTER 1

Single Degree of Freedom System

CONTENTS OF CHAPTER 1
1.1 Simple Structures
1.2 Single-Degree-of-Freedom System
1.3 Force-Displacement Relation
1.4 Damping Force
1.5 Equation of Motion: External Force
1.6 Mass-Spring-Damper System
1.7 Equation of Motion: Earthquake Excitation
1.8 Problem Statement and Element Forces
1.9 Combining Static and Dynamic Responses
1.10 Methods of Solution of the Differential Equation
1.11 Study of SDF Systems: Organization
Appendix 1: Stiffness Coefficients for a Flexural Element
Appendix 2: Some Basic Information and Glossary
1.1 Simple Structures

Free Vibration Response, and No damping

 Free Vibration Response, with damping

Damping is any effect

that tends to reduce
the amplitude of
oscillations in an
oscillatory system.
It is the rate at which
something dissipate
energy. The higher
the damping, the high
the rate of energy
dissipation, with less
resulted
displacement, velocity
and acceleration.

1.2 Single –Degree –of- Freedom System (SDOF)

The system consists of a single Mass (m), a

massless frame that provides stiffness (k) to
the system, and a viscous damper (dashpot)
(c) that dissipates vibrational energy.
1.3 Force-Displacement Relationship (Stiffness)
The force-Displacement relation would be linear at small deformations, as in
Figure (d) but would become nonlinear at larger deformation as in Figure (c)

1.3.1 Linear systems (elastic System)

Example 1.1
1.3.2 Inelastic Systems
 Types of Damping

Viscous damping coefficient

“c” is the viscous damping coefficient : its units (Force x time / length)

Damping properties may be determined from free vibration tests or forced vibration tests
2- Coulomb or Frictional Damping

1.5 Equation of Motion – External Force

 2 x 2.109 x 108 = 4.218 x 108 N/m

1.6 Mass- Spring- Damper System

1.7 Equation of Motion : Earthquake Excitation
 1.8 Problem Statement and Element Forces

1.8.1 Problem Statement

1.8.2 Element Forces

1.9 Combining Static and Dynamic Responses

1.10 Methods of Solution of the Differential Equation

1.10.1 Classical Solution
1.10.2 Duhamel’s Integral
 Stiffness k
Combination of two springs – case 2
The stiffness k has the same definition
as in the displacement method:
k1 k2
The stiffness k is the external force that This case is
m
is needed to keep the system in more
equilibrium when a unit displacement u complicated.
= 1 is applied.
u =1 u =1
d1, F1 d 2 , F2 F1  k1 d1
m k F2  k 2 d2
k .1 m k
spring external force

statics : F1  F2  k
Combination of two springs – case 1
k k
d1  d2  1   1
The stiffness for this k1 k 2
k2 system is trivial:
m
k1
k  k1  k2 1 1 1
 
k k1 k 2

Some structures can be idealised as SDOF

Example 3 2 5 The mass of this SDF system is m, the

6
mass of the roof.
1 4
In statics, this frame
has 6 active degrees
of freedom. The lateral stiffness is determined in the classical way:

u =1
2
3
k
1
24EI
By neglecting the k
axial deformations, 3 L3
d.o.f. disappear.

1
rigid beam 12EI 6EI
1 m L
3
L
2

Only one d.o.f. is left if the

frame is consisting of an
heavy roof supported by 6EI 12EI
light columns. massless 2 3
L L
*

* From Dynamics of Structures, 3rd Edition by Clough & Penzien

The stiffness, k, of a body is a measure of the resistance offered by an elastic body to deformation.
For an elastic body with a single Degree of Freedom, the stiffness is defined as

where
P is the force applied on the body
δ is the displacement produced by the force along the same degree of freedom
 u

DAMPING
un

un + p
Different damping models can be t
used, a viscous proportional damping tn t n+p

is the most used approach.

A free vibration test can be used to determine

There are two reasons for that:
experimentally the natural frequency and the
damping of a structure.
• The mathematical equation which
describes the motion is easy. p periods between two maximal
points un and un  p
• This model gives results which are often tn  p  tn  pTD
in very good agreement with
un C e ξωntn sin( ωDtn  θ )
experiments.   ξωn (tn  pTD )
un  p Ce sin( ωD (tn  pTD )  θ )

A consequence is that the  eξωn pTD

damping coefficient  can only be un 2
ln   n p TD   n p
determined by experiments. un  p n 1   2
1 u
  0.1  12  1    ln n
2 p un  p

Dynamic Amplification Factor (DAF) versus Damping

The increase in the effect of a dynamic load is given by DAF as below:

where u is the deflection of the structure due to the applied load.

Generally damping would be ignored for non-transient events (such as dead load or crowd loading),
but would be important for transient events (for example, an impulse load such as a bomb blast or
seismic load).
HW#1