Chapter 4

Response to arbitrary, step and pulse

excitation

Dr. Adil Zekaria (AAIT)

Response to Unit Impulse

1
h(t − τ ) ≡ u (t ) = sin[ωn (t − τ )] t ≥τ
mω n
for viscously damped systems
1 −ζω n (t −τ )
h(t − τ ) ≡ u (t ) = e sin[ω D (t − τ )] t ≥τ
mω D

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.2

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 Response to Unit Impulse (Contd)

Duhamel’s Integral

1 t
u (t ) =
mω n ∫
0
p (τ ) sin[ωn (t − τ )] dτ

for viscously damped systems

1 t
u (t ) = ∫ p (τ ) e −ζω n ( t −τ ) sin[ω D (t − τ )] dτ
mω D 0

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.3

Response to Step Force

The solution u(t) of the differential equation using Duhamel’s integral

  ζ 
u (t ) = (u st ) o 1 − e −ζω nt  cos ω D t + sin ω D t 
  1− ζ 2 
 
u (t ) = (u st ) o (1 − cos ω nt ) for ζ = 0

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.4

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 Response to Step Force
Alternatively for an undamped SDOF uh (t ) = A cos(ω nt ) + B sin(ω nt )
system is loaded by a step force, the
po
non-homogenous differential equation u p (t ) =
k
can be solved analytically as follows.
po
u(t ) = A cos(ωnt ) + B sin(ω nt ) +
k
m&u& +k u = po
 po
 uo = 0  A+ k = 0
The solution u(t) of the differential 
 → 
equation is the sum of two parts uh (t)  u&o = 0 
and up (t).  Bωn = 0

u(t) = uh(t) +up(t) po

u(t ) = [1 − cos(ωnt )]
k

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.5

Response to Ramp Force

t 1 t po
p ( t ) = po
tr
⇒ u (t ) =
mωn ∫
0 tr
τ sin ωn (t − τ )dτ

 t sin ωn t 
u (t ) = (u st )0  − 
 tr ωn t r 

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.6

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 Response to Step Force with Finite
Rise Time

 t sin ω n t 
u (t ) = (u st ) o  −  t ≤ tr
 tr ωn t r 
 1 
u (t ) = (u st ) o 1 − [sin ωnt − sin ωn (t − tr )] t ≥ tr
 ω t
n r 

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.7

Response to Step Force with Finite

Rise Time (Contd)

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.8

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 Response to Step Force with Finite
Rise Time (Contd)

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.9

Response to Step Force with Finite

Rise Time (Contd)
Observations

1. If t r < Tn 4 ⇒ uo ≅ 2(u st ) o
2. If t r > 3Tn ⇒ uo ≅ (u st ) o
3. If t r Tn = 1, 2, 3, K, u& (t r ) = 0 no oscillation ∴ uo = (u st ) o

For long duration loadings, the maximum

response ratio depends on the rate of the increase
of the load to its maximum: for a step function we
have a maximum response ratio of 2, for a slowly
varying load we tend to a quasi-static response,
hence a factor ≊ 1

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.10

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 Response to Pulse Excitation
• A pulse load is characterized
▶ by a single principal impulse, and
▶ by a relatively short duration.
• An example of single pulse which can be
idealized to represent pressure due above
ground blasts or explosions.

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.11

Response to Pulse Excitation

• Impulsive or shock loads are of great importance for
the design of certain classes of structural systems,
e.g., vehicles or cranes.
• Damping has much less importance in controlling the
maximum response to impulsive loadings because
the maximum response is reached in a very short
time, before the damping forces can dissipate a
significant portion of the energy input into the
system.
• For this reason, in the following we’ll consider only
the undamped response to impulsive loads.

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.12

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 Response to Pulse Excitation
• In general, when dealing with impulse response
characterized by its duration to we are interested
either in
– the maximum of the absolute values of maxima
(named also the peak value ) of the response ratio
R(t) in 0 < t < td or,
– if we have no maxima during the excitation phase
(i.e., 0 < t < td) we want to know the amplitude of
the free vibrations that are excited by the impulse.

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.13

Response to Pulse Excitation

Mathematical
representation of
pulse forces

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.14

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 Rectangular Pulse Force
u (t ) = uh (t ) + u p (t )
p(t )
u (t )
k po uh (t ) = A cos(ω nt ) + B sin(ωnt )
m p(t )
t po
u p (t ) =
ttod k

po
u(t ) = A cos(ω nt ) + B sin(ω nt ) +
k
initial conditions: uo = u&o = 0
 po
An undamped SDF system is loaded by a  uo = 0  A+ k = 0

rectangular pulse force. For this case, the  → 
 u&o = 0 
differential equation can be solved analytically.  B ωn = 0

0 ≤ t ≤ td m u&& + k u = po po
u(t ) = [1 − cos(ωnt )]
k

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.15

Rectangular Pulse Force (Contd)

t ≥ td m u&& + k u = 0 free vibration
po
u(t) = [cos(ωn t − ωn t d ) − cos(ωn t d ) cos(ωn t − ωn t d )
k
+ sin(ωn t d ) sin(ωn t − ωn t d )]
u& ( t d )
u ( t ) = u ( t d ) cos(ωn t1 ) + sin(ω n t1 )
ωn

by using cos a cos b − sin a sin b = cos(a + b)

po
t1 = t − t d u(t d ) = [1 − cos(ωn t d )]
k
pω it is obtained
u& ( t d ) = o n sin(ωn t d )
k

po
u (t) =
po
[1 − cos(ωn t d )] cos(ωn t − ωn t d ) u(t) = [cos(ωn t − ωn t d ) − cos(ωn t )]
k k
p
+ o sin(ω n t d ) sin(ω n t − ωn t d )
k

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.16

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 Rectangular Pulse Force (Contd)

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.17

Rectangular Pulse Force (Contd)

• Deformation Response factor uo 2 sin(π t d Tn ) t d Tn ≤ 1 2
Rd = = 
(u st ) o  2 t d Tn ≥ 1 2 

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.18

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 Half Cycle Sine Pulse Force
 p0 sin(π t td ) t ≤ td 
m u&& + k u = p(t ) =  
0 t ≥ td 

 1   t  Tn  t  
 2 
sin π  − sin 2π  t ≤ td 
1 − (Tn 2td )   td  2td  Tn  
u (t )  
= 
(ust ) 0  
(T t ) cos(π t d Tn )   t 1 td 
 n d sin  2π  −  t ≥ td 
 (Tn 2t d ) 2 − 1   Tn 2 Tn  

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.19

Half Cycle Sine Pulse Force

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.20

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 Half Cycle Sine Pulse Force

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.21

Symmetrical Triangle Pulse Force

 t T t  td 
 2 − n sin 2π  0≤t ≤ 
  dt 2π t d T n  2

u (t )   t Tn  2π 1 t  td 
= 21 − + 2 sin (t − t d ) − sin 2π   ≤ t ≤ td 
(u st ) 0   t d 2πt d  Tn 2 Tn   2 
  T  2π 1 2π t  
 2 n 2 sin (t − t d ) − sin (t − t d ) − sin 2π  t ≥ td 
  2πt d  Tn 2 Tn Tn  

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.22

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 Symmetrical Triangle Pulse Force

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.23

Symmetrical Triangle Pulse Force

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.24

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 Effect of Pulse Shape

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.25

Approximate Analysis or Short Pulses

• From the above discussion it can be summarized that
for short duration loads, the maximum displacement
is in the free vibration phase, and its amplitude
depends on the work done on the system by the
load. The response ratio depends further on the
maximum value of the load impulse, so we can say
that the maximum displacement is a more significant
measure of response.

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.26

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 Approximate Analysis or Short Pulses
• An undamped SDOF system is
p(t ) u = u& = 0
loaded by a short impulse force. An o o
u(t )
approximate response is to be
k
calculated. m p(t )
t
ttod
d u& (t )
Newton’s law for t ≤ t d m + k u(t ) = p(t )
dt

Hypothesis: td is so small that the  t d is very small

displacement u is still zero at  → u(t d ) ≈ 0
 uo = 0
td. (uo = 0).

Then ku(t) can be neglected in Newton’s equation

Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.27

Approximate Analysis or Short Pulses

t
1 1 d
d u& ( t ) = p( t ) d t → u& ( t d ) − u& d = ∫ p( t ) d t
m m0
td
I
→ u& ( t d ) = I = ∫ p( t ) d t
m 0

At td, the impulse load is assumed to have produced

an initial velocity, but no displacement.
u& ( t d )
Newton’s law for t ≥ t d (free vibration) u ( t ) = u ( t d ) cos[ωn ( t − t d )] + sin[ω n ( t − t d )]
ωn
I
→ the maximum displacement is u max =
mω n
This result is only valid if td is small enough so that
u(td) ≈ 0. In practice it means td < Tn /10
In such case, the maximal deformation does not
depend on the form of the impulse load, but only on
the value of the integral Ι.
Dr. Adil Z. (AAIT) Arbitrary step & pulse excitation 4.28

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