C&ENVENG 3020/7020 – COMPUTER ANALYSIS & STRUCTURAL DYNAMICS

Homework No. 2
“Impulse/General Loading”

1. The water tank below can be treated as a SDOF structure with the following
properties: W  2,000kN , k  50kN / mm . As a result of an explosion, the
tank is subjected to the dynamic-load history shown. Compute approximately
the maximum displacement, base shear reaction and overturning moment Mo
at the base of the tower using the equation
𝟏 𝒕
𝒖(𝒕 − 𝒕𝟏 ) ≈ (∫𝟎 𝟏 𝒑(𝒕)𝒅𝒕) ∙ 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝝎(𝒕 − 𝒕𝟏 )
𝒎𝝎

and evaluating the impulse integral by means of Simpson's rule:

∆𝑡
∫ 𝑝(𝑡)𝑑𝑡 = 3 (𝑝0 + 4𝑝1 + 2𝑝2 + 4𝑝3 + 2𝑝4 + ⋯ + 𝑝10 )

v(t) P(t)
(kN)
1600
1400
1400
P(t) W 1200
1000 1000

k
500
400
200 0
0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.10 t(sec)

2. For the structure and loading shown above, perform a similar analysis to that
in class using Matlab (or Newmark step-by-step) with t = 0.01 seconds for 3
damping ratios:
(a)  = 0%;
(b)  = 5%; and
(c)  = 10%.

Plot u(t) for all three cases and comment on the differences between the curves
and how do the responses compare to the values given by the approximate
formulae for impulse loading. Be sure to carry the plots out sufficiently in
time to include the first cycle or two of free-vibration response.

3. For the same structure shown above, calculate its time history response using
the step-by-step (Newmark) method for the El Centro earthquake ground
motion and a damping ratio of  = 5%.

mcg/02/03/2018
The University of Adelaide
Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering
 0.4

0.3

0.2
Acceleration (g's)

0.1

-0.1

-0.2

-0.3

-0.4
0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Time (seconds)

El Centro earthquake ground motion (acceleration in g’s versus time)

mcg/02/03/2018
The University of Adelaide
Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering