WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY

CE 512 – Dynamics of Structures

T-Th 1:25pm – 2:40pm in SLOAN 163

Adam R. Phillips, Ph.D.

148 PACCAR
a.phillips@wsu.edu
Office Hours: TBD or by appointment

Fall 2018

Course Description
The primary objective of this course is to introduce the fundamentals of structural dynamics.
Through this course we will explore the equations of motions, free vibration of single degree of
freedom and multi-degree of freedom systems, damping mechanisms, harmonic and seismic
loading, time and frequency domain analysis, modal analysis, and the ASCE 7 code seismic
response spectra.

Prerequisites & Textbooks

The required book for this course is Dynamics of Structures by Anil Chopra
Dynamics of Structures 4th Ed., Anil K. Chopra. Pearson publishing
Course Policies
I am listing the course policies here to make it clear what I find acceptable and what I do not. My
general learning philosophy is that I want to see effort more than anything else. If you show me
that you’re engaged, then I am almost certain you will achieve your goals for the course.

Assessment
Since this is a graduate course, evaluation and grading of assignments will be less frequent and
less rigid. It is your responsibility to seek assistance if you are having difficulty understanding
the material. The grading breakdown is roughly provided below:
Homework 20%
Project 30%
Exams (incl. final) 50%
Final grades will be assigned based on my judgment of your performance. As stated above, I value
effort more than anything else. A rough grading scale is provided below:
A 94-100 A- 90-93.9
B+ 87-89.9 B 84-87 B- 80-83.9
C+ 77-79.9 C 74-77 C- 70-73.9
D 60-70 F < 60

Communication Guidelines
All communication (i.e. e-mails, assignments, letters, etc.) should be conducted using professional
standards. If you need a refresher on how to structure a letter/e-mail refer to the example below:
SUBJECT: CE 431 Example e-mail
Professor/Dr. Phillips,
The body of the e-mail should be written in complete sentences. Proofread your message
at least once before sending. Remember, no quality writing is possible without re-writing.
Thank you,
Your Name

Late Work & Absences

Late homework will be accepted 1 class period late. Your grade for that assignment will be
lowered 20%.
Missing class on the due date is not an acceptable excuse for not submitting homework on time.
If you are going to miss class, it is your responsibility to notify me or turn in the homework before
the due date.
Students with Disabilities
If a student has a documented disability and needs accommodation in order to fully participate
in the course, please contact me within the first week of class AND visit the WSU Access Center.
All accommodations must be approved through the WSU Access Center (http://drc.wsu.edu).
Please stop by the WSU Access Center in Room 217, Washington Building or call 509-335-3417
to make an appointment with a disability specialist.

Academic Integrity
Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated. Cheating includes, but is not limited to,
copying work from other individuals or from published solutions without approval or allowing
your work to be copied. Plagiarism involves claiming credit for work done by someone else, or
submitting another person’s work as your own.
The WSU Office of Student Conduct has a policy defining academic dishonesty and the procedures
to follow if cheating or plagiarism occurs (www.studentconduct.wsu.edu). Any occurrence of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of Student Conduct. The first occurrence will
result in no credit for that assignment or exam. The second incident will result in an F for the
course or dismissal from the University.

Campus Safety
The following links provide important information regarding campus safety and emergency
procedures at WSU:
http://safetyplan.wsu.edu
http://oem.wsu.edu/emergencies

Course Organization
This course is organized into two parts: Homework and exams.

Homework
Homework assignments are to be completed following professional presentation standards. It is
your responsibility to make sure that I can follow your work. Homework assignments will
be graded based on a 0-10 scale.
Collaboration on homework assignments is encouraged. However, copying constitutes academic
dishonesty. Therefore, if working with classmates, periodically ask yourself if everyone is
contributing to the group and if you are pulling your weight.

Project
Project details will be provided during the semester, as projects change year to year. The project
will provide an opportunity to utilize computer software to analyses the dynamics of structures.
Exams
There will be two mid-term exams (one in-class and one take-home) and a final exam. All exams
are to be completed individually. The exams will be graded on a 0-100 scale.

Schedule
Week Chopra Ch. Topic

1 1 SDOF Equations of motion, solution methods

SDOF free vibration (undamped and viscously

2 2.1 & 2.2
damped)

3 3.1 – 3.9 SDOF harmonic response with viscous damping

4.1, 4.2, 4.6, 4.7,

4 SDOF response to pulse excitation
4.8, 4.10, 4.11

5 5.1-5.5 Numerical evaluation of dynamic response

6 6.1-6.11 SDOF Earthquake response of linear system

7.1-7.4,
7 SDOF Earthquake response of inelastic system
7.7-7.10

8 GAP WEEK to catch up if behind or review

9.1-9.4
9 Introduction of MDOF
9.9-9.11

10 10.1 – 10.10 MDOF free vibration

11 12.1 – 12.7 MDOF dynamic analysis and modal analysis

12 Generalizing MDOF systems into SDOF systems

13.1, 13.2,13.7, MDOF Earthquake analysis of systems (modal

13
13.8, 13.9 and linear response spectrum)

Earthquake response of linearly elastic

14 19
buildings

Earthquake analysis and response of inelastic

15 20
buildings