INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING, VOL.

4, 5-10 (1972)

EVALUATION OF ORTHOGONAL DAMPING MATRICES

E. L. WILSON* AND J. PENZlENt

University of California, Berkeley, California

SUMMARY

Two methods for the numerical evaluation of orthogonal damping matrices are developed. The first

relates the modal damping ratios to the coefficients of the Caughey series. The second is a direct
approach which expresses the damping matrix as a sum of a series of matrices each of which produces
damping in a particular mode. It is found that the direct approach is more convenient to apply and is
less numerically sensitive than the series approach.
INTRODUCTION
In the dynamic response analysis of linear elastic structures it is necessary to define the mass,
stiffness and damping properties of the system. For most structures it is extremely difficult to
evaluate the damping characteristics. Generally, in the mode superpositioq approach the damping
is assumed to be uncoupled and is given in each mode as a percentage of the critical damping.
The selection of realistic damping values for a particular structure is based on experimental
evidence from the structure or from other structures of similar geometry and materials.
In the evaluation of the dynamic response by the direct step-by-step integration of the equations
of motion. However, the complete damping properties of the structure must be established.
Also, in the case of non-linearities in the structure it may be desirable to retain linear viscous
damping. Another example is the case where excitation of the system is achieved through a
multiple support system. In all these cases a complete damping matrix for the structure must be
developed; therefore, it is important that the properties of the damping matrix are related to the
modal damping ratios which can be estimated based on the known physical properties of the
system.
The purpose of this paper is to present two methods for the numerical evaluation of a viscous
damping matrix. Both approaches yield an orthogonal damping matrix which produces specific
modal damping ratios.
DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM EQUATIONS
For analysis purposes, complex continuous mass systems are normally discretized to N degrees
of freedom ; thus, yielding dynamic equilibrium equations of the form

mu+ci+ku = p
(1)
where m, c and k are the N x N mass, damping and stiffness matrices, respectively, and where u
and p are the corresponding N x 1 displacement and force vectors.
The undamped free vibration mode shapes and frequencies are obtained by solving the equations
k+ = m+wa

*
t

Associate Professor of Civil Engineering.

Professor of Structural Engineering.
Received 16 December 1970

0 1972 by John Wiley & Sons. Ltd.

(2)

E. L. WILSON AND J. PENZIEN

where
is the full N x N mode shape matrix and o2is an N x N diagonal frequency matrix
containing the N squared frequencies.
Forced vibration response is usually determined by solving the normal equations of motion
obtained from equation (1) after premultiplying by +T, introducing normal co-ordinates as defined
by the relation

u=+Y
(3)
and assuming the damping matrix to possess the same orthogonality property as does the mass
and stiffness matrices, i.e.
+TC+~=O,
r#s
(4)
where +r and +s are the shape vectors of modes r and s, respectively. These normal equations
have the uncoupled from

Mji+CY+KY = P
(5)
where M, C and K are the normal (or diagonalized) mass, damping and stiffness matrices,
respectively, and where P is the normal force vector. The individual terms in these matrices are
given by the relations
M,. = +Tm+r
Cr =

+:

c+r = 2Mr wr

5,

r = 1,2, ..., N

K, = 4: k+r = M,.
0,"
pr =

+w%

where 5,. is the damping ratio of the rth mode of vibration.

In the standard mode superposition method these damping ratios can be assigned numerical
values directly on the basis of experimental data and it is usually not necessary to establish a
numerical damping matrix.
EXTENSION OF THE CAUGHEY SERIES METHOD
The general form of a viscous damping matrix with orthogonal properties was originally derived
by Caughey.' However, this paper did not produce a numerical procedure for the construction
of the damping matrix for specific modal damping.
To determine the general form of damping matrix which satisfies the orthogonality condition
given by equation (4), consider the undamped system vibrating freely in mode s as defined by the
equation

k+s = 4 m+s
(7)
Premultiplying this equation by +:[km-')g
for successive positive integer values of g and using
k+s = 0,r # s, it becomes immediately
the orthogonality property of the stiffness matrix, i.e.
apparent that
+:[krn-l]gk+,
= 0, r # s, g = 1,2, ...
(8)
Likewise, premultiplying equation (7) by +,T[mk-lIh for successive positive integer values of h
and using the orthogonality property of the mass matrix, i.e. +?m+, = 0, r # s, it is equally
apparent that

+:

+,T[mk-'Ihm+, = 0, r # s, h = I,2, ...

(9)
Both families of orthogonality relationships as given by equations (8) and (9), as well as the

ORTHOGONAL DAMPING MATRICES

orthogonality properties of the mass and stiffness matrices, can be expressed in the compact form
+Tm[m-lk]b+s = 0, r # s, b = ..., -2,

- 1,0,1,2, ...

(10)

Note that the orthogonality properties of the mass and stiffness matrices are given by equation
(10) using b = 0 and b = 1, respectively, while the relationships given by equations (8) and (9)
correspond to equation (10) for b = 2,3, . .., and b = - 1, - 2, ..., respectively.
From equation (lo), it is now clear that a damping matrix of the form

c = m C aa[m-l kIb
b

satisfies the orthogonality condition given by equation (4) thus yielding uncoupled
modes of vibration.
Any desired number of terms in the Caughey series can be used to establish the
matrix. However, since the number of terms corresponds with the number of modes
damping can be controlled, one would never use more than N terms. For example, a
matrix of the form

(1 1)
dampled
damping
in which
damping

will completely control damping in all modes by proper selection of the damping constants
ab (b = 0, 1 , . . ., N - 1). This equation makes use of N successive terms of the series in equation
(11) starting with b = 0. One could, of course, theoretically select any other set of N linearly
independent terms. It should be noted that Rayleigh damping is given by the first two terms of
equation (12).
To evaluate constants ab, it is necessary that they be expressed in terms of the damping ratios
of individual modes. This can be accomplished by substituting equation (12) directly into the
second part of equation (6) to obtain

which upon solving for

trgives

If the damping ratios in all modes are specified, constants ab (b = 0,1,2, ..., N - 1) can be determined from equation (14). The complete damping matrix can now be evaluated using equation
(12). If damping is to be specified in a limited number of modes, the series in equation (12) may be
truncated with a corresponding number of terms by setting the constants in the remaining terms
equal to zero. Damping will, of course, still exist in all modes and may be evaluated using
equation (14).
While the above procedure for evaluating the damping matrix is sound theoretically, serious
numerical difficulties arise which make it impractical when the number of degrees of freedom is
large. These difficulties are due to the rapid increase in the numerical values of the terms wE in
equation (14) when i increases towards its maximum value of 2N-3.
DIRECT EVALUATION OF DAMPING MATRIX
In this section a more direct and efficient procedure is presented which eliminates the numerical
difficulties of the Caughey series method.

E. L. WILSON AND J. PENZIEN

To accomplish this objective, first consider the normal damping matrix C as defined by the
second part of equation (6). After simple matrix manipulation, one obtains the relation
c = +T-1

c4-1

Using the first part of equation (6), it can be shown that

+T-1= m+M-l
= M-l+Tm

+-I

Substituting equation (16) into equation (15) gives

c = epeT

where 8 is a mass normalized mode shape matrix defined by

e=m+
and where p is a diagonal matrix in which the terms are given by

An alternate form of equation (1'7) is a summation of modal damping matrices c,, i.e.
N

c=

cc,

(20)

r=l

where c, is a matrix which produces damping in mode r only and may be calculated directly from
the mass normalized shape e, using the relation
cr = P v Or

(21)

This more direct method of evaluating the damping matrix is very efficient as seen in the subsequent example solution.

EXAMPLE SOLUTION

A three degree of freedom system is selected to illustrate the two methods of calculating a damping
matrix which produces uncoupled modes of vibration. The stiffness and mass matrices of this
system are given as
3000 -1200
0
2.0 0
0
k=[

-1200

1800

-600

-600

600

1,

m=[

1.5

1.0

The undamped free vibration mode shapes, frequencies and normal masses are
0.22417 -0.43168

0.51323

14.5217

0.48 164 -0.38566 -0.53475

0.74265

0.63578

0.21037

1.000

ORTHOGONAL DAMPING MATRICES

Consider the problem of calculating a damping matrix with 5 per cent of critical damping in
the first two modes of vibration. Using the first method presented, i.e. equation (14), one obtains

from which a, = 0-9894and ul = 04021945. The desired damping matrix is now calculated using
equation (1 2) which gives
8.5613 -2.6334
5.4342 -1-3116

- 1.31 16

2.3061

From equation (14) the damping associated with the third mode is found to be
a1

a0
-+-

f -.20,

20,

= 0.06131

Using the second and more direct method, the mass normalized mode shapes are found to be
0.44834 -0.86335

1.02646

0.72246 -057849
0.74265

-0.80213

0.63578

0.21037

From equation (19), one obtains

The damping matrix is now determined using equations (19) and (20).
5,838
c = f,

9.407

9.407 15.159 15.583

9.670 15.583 16.018

46.284

31.013

- 34.084

3 1.013

20.780

- 22.838

- 22,838
97.143 - 75.912

25.100

- 34.084

+&[

9.670

- 75.912

19.909

59.322 - 15.558

19.909 - 15.558

4.080

I
I

Each of these damping matrices produces damping in a given mode and zero damping in all other
modes. Physically, the existence of this type of damping for a structure may be impossible unless
dashpots with negative damping are present. However, the advantage of expressing the dampng
matrix in this form is apparent, since arbitrary modal damping can be assigned directly. If we
assign 5, = 0.05, f z = 0.05 and f 3 = 0.061 3 1 the same damping matrix is obtained as calculated
by the Caughey series approach.

10

E. L. WILSON AND J. PENZIEN

CONCLUSION
Two methods for the numerical evaluation of orthogonal damping matrices are presented.
Arbitrary modal damping is possible in both methods. If damping is to be specified in a limited
number of modes the series approach may be used without difficulty. However, if damping is to
be controlled in a large number of modes in the system the direct approach is recommended.
REFERENCES
1. T. K. Caughey, Classical normal modes in damped linear systems, Jnl uppf. Mech. 27, 269-271 (1960).