Vibration Basics

For Structural Engineers

Part 1
17-Jan_2012

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• Safety:
– On the jobsite
• Look down before you move
• Make sure you can move safely
• Then move to a safe place

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Part 1: Jan 17, 2012

– General vibration issues for structural engineers

• Part 2: Feb 14, 2012

– Vibration considerations in advanced technology
facilities

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Outcomes
– Identify fundamental vibration concepts for structures
– Understand structural response to dynamic loads
– Review underlying concepts of computer analysis for vibratory
loads on structures
– Understand approaches to reduce unacceptable vibration effects
to structures

• Assumptions
– Addresses linear elastic analyses
– Not a math course
– Not a computer course

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Sources:
Sundararajan, C. (Raj), ASCE Seminar Structural Vibration
Analysis, Design & Troubleshooting, Scottsdale, AZ , December
2011
Tedesco, McDougal, Ross, Structural Dynamics Theory and
Applications, Addison Wesley Longman, Inc., Menlo Park,
CA,1999

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Issues with vibration

– Discomfort for occupants/users
– Disturbing noise (in unusual cases)
– Reduces task accuracy
– Interferes with equipment operations
• Reduces accuracy of measuring equipment
• Reduces effectiveness of precision equipment
• Increases equipment maintenance
• Reduces useful life of equipment and/or components

– Can increase building maintenance

– Can be destructive to building components and/or structures

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Strategies to mitigate vibration

– Select the right site
– Get to know the neighbors
– Separation
– Equipment location
– Equipment selection
– Equipment specification
– Equipment installation
– Isolation
– Absorption
– Structure modification
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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Historical structural modification approaches

– Increase stiffness
• Add columns

– Detune the structure

• ffloor > 2* fequipment or ffloor < 0.5* fequipment

– Increase mass
• Structure mass = 10 times the rotating mass
or 2 times the total mass

– Add isolation
• Isolation bases/springs
• Isolation joints

– Add vibration absorbers

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Vibration results from time-dependant loading

• Loads may be long or short duration

• Periodic or non-periodic

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Vibration results in time-dependant displacement

• Displacement may be long or short duration

• Displacement may be transient or steady state or a
combination of both

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Single-Degree-of-Freedom
Rigid body lumped mass model
General Equation of motion:

`` `

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Single-Degree-of-Freedom
Undamped Free Vibration:

``

x(t) = X sin(t + )
 = phase angle, tan() = (x0*0/v0)
X = amplitude of vibration = [x02 + (v0/0)2]1/2
v = velocity = 0 at t0

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Undamped free vibration

F = natural frequency, cycles/unit time
f = [k/m]1/2/2*
k = stiffness, force/unit length
2 = k/m
= 2*f
T = 1/f

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Equivalent Stiffness:
Model assumes a single spring:

Springs in parallel: ke = k1 + k2 + … + kn

Springs in series: 1/ke = 1/k1 + 1/k2 + …. + 1/kn

Equivalent Mass:
Model assumes structure weight is insignificant relative to the
supported weight.

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Why does this matter?

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Expressions for vibration amplitude:

x= amplitude

v= 2**f*x
= velocity

a = 2**f*v
= (2**f)2*x
= acceleration
Tripartite Chart

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Expressions vibration:

p-p = 2*x = peak-to-peak amplitude

0-p = x = zero-to-peak amplitude
RMS = 0.707*x = RMS amplitude

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Damping:
Critical damping: Cc = 2*[m*k]1/2 = 2*m*
Is damping at which oscillations last 1 cycle
Damping ratio c/Cc
Damped natural frequency: d = [1-2]1/2*
For 20% damping, d = 0.98* Overdamped system

Underdamped system

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Typical Damping Values

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Damping
Can be calculated if two amplitudes are known and the number of
cycles between them are known
n* = ln(xi/x(i+n))
 = 2** for small values of damping

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Harmonic Forces:
Response = Transient response + Steady State response:
Transient response decays
Address steady state response only

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Harmonic Forces:
Steady state response =
Xf = DMF*(X0)
DMF = Dynamic Magnification Factor, Amplification factor,
response factor, dynamic load factor or
transmissibility
DMF = 1/[(1-r2)2 + (2**r)2]1/2
Where r = 
Driving frequency (Equipment rotational
frequency)

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Harmonic Forces:

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Harmonic Forces:
DMFmax occurs at r = [1-2*2]1/2 for  < 1/[2]1/2 (= 0.707)

DMFmax = 1/(2**[1-2*2]1/2

DMFmax occurs at r ~ 0 for  > 1/[2]1/2 (= 0.707)

DMFmax = 1/2*

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Determination of damping by Half-Power method

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Ways to reduce structural response:

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Fourier Series
Method of representing periodic functions
where T0 = period = time for F(t) to repeat itself

Can be expressed as a Fourier series by:

where  = 2 *  / T0

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Forced Response of SDOF System to Step Force

Undamped case: R(t) = 1-cos(*t) = 2.0 Max
Damped case: R(t) = 1-e-t{cos(dt) + sin(dt)/[1-2]1/2}

Where T = system natural period

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Response of SDOF System to Various Forces

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Multiple-Degree-of-Freedom (MDOF) Systems

– n degrees of freedom requires solution of n x n matrices
– Multiple responses exist
– Solutions become cumbersome very quickly
– Use a computer
– Direct Integration
• Equation of motion is integrated step-by-step based on results at discrete
intervals
• Accurate and able to address irregularities with sufficiently small increments
• Computationally cumbersome
• A number of integration methods are available.

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Multiple-Degree-of-Freedom (MDOF) Systems

– Modal Superposition
• Able to address larger structures
• Solves each principal mode independently of other modes (uncoupled)
• Only addresses limited number of modes
• Only valid for linear behavior.
• Only valid for proportional damping
• Best for systems dominated by a few lowest frequencies where dynamic
disturbance is long duration

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Multiple-Degree-of-Freedom (MDOF) Systems (Cont’d)

– Response spectrum analysis
• Is envelope of maximum response values versus some system characteristic,
generally frequency.
• Based on short duration incremental impulse forces considered independently.
• Only yields maximum values of responses, not time-histories.
• Absolute summation procedure
– Sums response of each mode times a participation factor
– Generally is very conservative
• SRSS summation procedure
– SRSS of square of each modes response times a participation factor
– May be conservative or not
– Most accurate with two-dimensional structures with well-separated modes

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Multiple-Degree-of-Freedom (MDOF) Systems (Cont’d)

– Response spectrum analysis (Cont’d)
• CQC summation procedure (Complete Quadratic Combination)
– May be conservative or not
– Yields better results for three dimensional structures or systems with
closely spaced modes
– Modes are closely spaced if their frequencies are within 10% of each
other

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Multiple-Degree-of-Freedom (MDOF) Systems (Cont’d)

• Review modal participation factors to identify global and local
structural responses.
• Consider mode shapes in evaluating behavior

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Finite Element Analysis Guidelines

• Use uniform mesh where possible
• Use finer mesh at locations with higher stress gradient
– At loads, reactions, corners, cutouts and discontinuities
– Change in mesh size must be gradual
– Finer mesh equals larger problem size, more accurate results
– Coarser mesh may not encompass higher modes

• For time-step analysis, interval should not exceed 10% of the

period of the highest frequency of interest
• For analysis with mode cut-off frequency limits, set limit higher
than the frequency content of the forces
• Do not use half models based on symmetry. They will only
capture alternate higher modes
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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Test-Analysis Correlation
• Test error sources
– Test set-up (boundary conditions, connections, etc.)
– Non-linear loading range
– External noise
– Measurement errors

• Analysis error sources

– Material properties
– Modeling
» Boundary conditions
» Connections

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• Test-Analysis Correlation (cont’d)

• Trend Analysis
– Values scattered about a 45o line likely indicates modeling errors (mesh
size, boundary conditions)
– Values above or below a 45o line likely indicates material property errors

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Vibration Isolation
Transmissibility

TR = Force transmitted to foundation

Dynamic force applied to system
= F(t)max/F0
= [1+(2**r)2]1/2/[(1-r2)2 + (2**r)2]1/2
= [1+(2**r)2]1/2*DMF
where r = 
 c/Cc

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Transmissibility
Isolators in series:
TRsystem = TR1*TR2*TR3

System or foundation system

stiffness should be adequate
to avoid acting as another isolator
in the series:
kfoundation > 10 * kisolator

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Vibration Isolators

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Vibration Isolators

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Vibration Isolators

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Vibration Absorbers
FIG 17
f1(t) = F1*sin(F*t)
m= [k1/m1]1/2 = fn of main system alone
a= [k2/m2]1/2 = fn of absorber system alone

 = m2/m1 = ratio of absorber mass to main mass

X0 = F1/k1 = equivalent static deflection of main mass

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Vibration Absorbers (cont’d)

X1 = {(k2-m2*f2)*F1}/{(k1 + k2 - m1*f2)*(k2-m2*f2)-k22}
X2 = {k2*F1}/{(k1 + k2 - m1*f2)*(k2-m2*f2)-k22}
Optimal vibration absorber is obtained when:
(k2 – m2*f2) = 0
and:
X1 = 0
X2 = -F1/ k2

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Vibration Absorbers

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 Structural Vibration Basics

Vibration Absorbers

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• References
– AISC Design Guide 3, Serviceability Design Considerations for
Steel Buildings, 2nd Edition, AISC, Chicago, IL, 2003
– AISC Design Guide 11, Floor Vibrations Due to Human Activity,
AISC, Chicago, IL, 1997
– Arya, O’Neill and Pincus, Design of Structures and Foundations
for Vibrating Machines, Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, TX,
1979
– Richart, Hall and Woods, Vibrations of Soils and Foundations,
Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1970
– Chen, Flow-Induced Vibration of Circular Cylindrical Structures,
ANL-85-51, Argonne Nnational Laboratory, Argonne, IL, 1985

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 Structural Vibration Basics

• References
– Chen, Flow-Induced Vibration of Circular Structures,
Hemisphere Publishing Corp, New York, NY, 1987
– Blevins, Flow Induced Vibrations, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New
York, NY 1990
– Newland, Introduction to Random Vibrations and Spectral
Analysis, Longman Group, Ltd., London, UK, 1980
– Lin, Probabilistic Theory of Structural Dynamics, McGraw Hill,
New York, NY 1967
– ASCE 59-11 Blast Resistant Design of Buildings, ASCE, Reston,
VA, 2011
– Design of Blast-Resistant Buildings in Petrochemical Facilities,
2nd Edition, ASCE, Reston, VA, 2010
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 Structural Vibration Basics

Questions?

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e-mail to
lisa.hoffman@ch2m.com

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