§5.

Numerical Time-Stepping Methods for Calculating

Dynamic Response
Preview
1. External load p(t) or ground motion varies arbitrarily with time;
2. The structure is nonlinear.
Result in:can not obtain the analytical solution of the differential
equation of motion.
Linear acceleration method、Newmark’s method、Wilson-θ
method.
Three requirements for verifying the numerical evaluation:
1. Convergence：as the time step decreases, the numerical
solution should approach the exact solution;
2. Stability: the numerical solution should be stable in the
presence of numerical round-off errors;
3. Accuracy: the numerical procedure should provide results
close enough to the exact solution.
§5. Numerical Time-Stepping Methods for Calculating
Dynamic Response

§5.1 Characteristics of Nonlinear System in Vibration

Linear system: restoring force has a linear relationship with displacement
and velocity, which satisfies the principle of superposition. Using Duhamel’s
integral , we can determine the structural response.

Nonlinear system: restoring force has a nonlinear relationship with

displacement and velocity, which does not satisfy the principle of
superposition. Duhamel’s integral can not be used to determine the
structural response.

f s (v )
f D (v )


v v
 §5.2 Linear acceleration/time-stepping/step-by-step method for
calculating nonlinear motion of single-degree of freedom system
5.2.1 Incremental equation of nonlinear motion of single-degree of freedom system
Dynamic equilibrium condition of nonlinear system at Moment t
(D'Alembert principle) :

FI (t )  FD (t )  Fs (t )  FP (t ) or  m u g (t )
Dynamic equilibrium condition of nonlinear system at Moment t+Δt:

FI (t  t)  FD (t  t)  Fs (t  t)  FP (t  t) or  mu g (t  t)
 
where: FI (t )  m y (t ) FD (t )  c y (t ) Fs (t )  k ( y ) y (t )
 
Initial condition: y 0  y (0) y 0  y ( 0)
Assume the relationships between inertial force and acceleration, damping force
and velocity , and restoring force and displacement, as shown in the figures below:
FI FD Fs
 FD
Fs
 FI

 y (t )   y (t )
 y (t )

  
y (t ) 
y (t ) y y (t ) y
y
The secants’ slopes in FI (t )  FD (t )  Fs (t )
 m( y ),  c( y ),  k ( y)
the figures are:  
 y (t )  y (t )  y (t )
Thus, we can obtain the incremental equation of nonlinear system form
two dynamic equilibrium conditions above:
     
m( y ) y (t )  c( y ) y (t )  k ( y )y (t )  Fp (t ) or  m( y ) u g (t )

Please observe the incremental equation and the curves to compare the
linear and nonlinear systems.
When Δt is small enough, the above secants’ slopes can be replaced by the
tangent slopes, that is,
dFI dFD dFs
m(t )   , c(t )   , k (t ) 
dy dy dy
Then, the incremental equation is:
  
m(t ) y (t )  c(t ) y (t )  k (t )y (t )  Fp (t ) or  m(t ) u g (t )

In engineering, structural mass is assumed as a constant parameter. Then,

  
m y (t )  c(t ) y (t )  k (t )y (t )  Fp (t ) or  m(t ) u g (t )
5.2.2 Linear acceleration/time-stepping method/step-by-step method
of nonlinear motion of single-degree of freedom system
Basic assumption: the structural acceleration linearly changes in the time
interval[t+Δt], that is,    y (t )
y (t   )  y (t )   (T  1)
t
Deduce the formulas of linear acceleration/time-stepping method/step-by-step
method :
(1) Integrate Formula (T-1) and obtain:


   1  y (t ) 2 
y (t   )  y (t )  y (t )  
2 t 
  (T  2)
 1  1  y( t) 3 
y (t   )  y (t )  y (t )  y (t ) 2   
2 6 t 

(2) From the 2nd equation in (T-2), obtain:

 6  1 
 y (t )  2 ( y (t )  y (t )t  y (t )t 2 ) (T  3)
t 2
Substitute (T-3) into the 1st equation in and obtain:
 3  1 
 y (t )  ( y (t )  y (t ) t   y (t ) t 2 ) (T  4)
t 6
(3) Substituting (T-3) and (T-4) into the incremental equation, we obtain:

K *y (t )  Fp* (t ) (T  5a )
where:
* 6 3  6 3
K  2 m  c ( y )  k ( y )  2 m  c (t )  k (t ) (T  5b)
t t t t
----quasi-static stiffness

*  6  
   t  
F (t )  Fp (t )  m 
P y (t )  3 y (t )   c(t ) 3 y (t )  y (t )  (T  5c )
 t   2 
----quasi-static load increment

(T-5a)--(T-5c) are the basic formulas of linear acceleration method.

5.2.3 basic steps of linear acceleration method

(1) Give the basic integral step length Δt ;

 
(2) From the initial condition, y(0) and y(0), determine the initial acceleration, y(0),
in the equation of motion;

(3) Determine the initial coefficients of viscosity and stiffness,

c (0) and k (0)

(4) Using (T  5b), calculte the quasi-static stiffness K *
* 6 3  6 3
K  2 m  c( y )  k ( y )  2 m  c(t )  k (t ) (T  5b)
t t t t

K *y (t )  Fp* (t ) (T  5a )

(5) Using (T  5 c ), calculate  F p* ( t ) in the 1st step:

*  6  
    t  
 F (t )   F p (t )  m 
p y (t )  3 y (t )   c (t )  3 y (t )  y (t )  (T  5 c )
  t   2 
 p ( t ) , calculate the incremental
* 1 *
(6) Using  y ( t )  ( K )  F
displacement in the 1st step: y ( t )

(7 ) S u b stitu tin g  y ( t ) in to ( T  4 ), calcu late th e in crem en tal velo city  y ( t ) :
 3  1 
 y (t )  (  y (t )  y (t )  t   y (t )  t 2 ) (T  4 )
t 6
  
(8) From y (t )  y (0)  y (t ) and y (t )  y (0)   y (t ), obtain
the displacement and velocity at t  t :

(9) Using y(t) and y (t ) at t=Δt , calculate the damping and restoring forces at
the moment, FD(t) and Fs (t); then, determine the acceleration at this moment
using the dynamic equilibrium equation,  y(t) .
(10) Determine c(t) and k(t). Taking at the displacement, velocity and
acceleration at t=Δt as the “initial values”, recalculate the quasi-static
stiffness and so on. So again, find the later structural response from the
former structural response until the structural response in the full time
history is obtained.
5.2.4 Discussion

（１）The numerical method is suitable for both linear and

nonlinear systems;
（２）If the system’s period is T, then the T
t 
integral step length requires: 10

（３） For the seismic load, Δt ≤ the time interval length of the numerized
seismic record；

（４） The accuracy of linear acceleration/time-stepping/step-by-step

method can be estimated by the truncation error of the Taylor series
expansion for the equation of motion. It is proved that linear acceleration
method belongs to the algorithm whose truncation error is square of Δt.
Therefore, it needs to take a shorter stepping length to improve the
accuracy of linear acceleration method.
5.2.5 Examples

Example 5.1 Calculate the response of the structure using linear acceleration
method. The first two steps need to be manually calculated, compared with
the computing result.
Fp (t ) m  0.2k s 2 /m

c=0.4k
K=8k
N·s/m
N/m

Fs ( y) 3
F p ( t ) (kN )
Fs ( y)  [8 y  4(2 y / 3) ] kN

8kN
0
y 9 9
8kN 6
4
1.5m 1 .5 m 1
0 t (s)
1.2

Restoring-displacement Load –time

curve relationship curve
 m delt t

Example 5.1. Computing Result

0.2 0.1

t y(t) v(t) F(t) a(t) C(t) k(y) k* delt F* delt y delt v F(t) delt F

0 0 0 0 0 0.4 0 132 0.2 0.00151515 0.045454545 0 0.2

0.1 0.00152 0.045455 0.2 0.908999 0.4 0.012121208 132.0121212 1.963579431 0.01487424 0.264413486 0.2 0.8

0.2 0.01639 0.309868 1 4.36952 0.4 0.131109882 132.1311099 7.499360345 0.05675696 0.554628762 1 0.7

0.3 0.07315 0.864497 1.5 5.557161 0.4 0.584706957 132.584707 17.3567972 0.130911 1.055981734 1.5 2.5

0.4 0.20406 1.920479 4 14.50374 0.4 1.622388518 133.6223885 37.34263625 0.27946392 1.897294889 4 3

0.5 0.48352 3.817773 7 18.33665 0.4 3.734192337 135.7341923 63.76332964 0.46976616 1.722832099 7 2

0.6 0.95329 5.540606 9 2.462374 0.4 6.599565734 138.5995657 75.66266455 0.54590838 -0.367683803 9 1

0.7 1.4992 5.172922 9.4 -23.3136 0.4 7.999996551 139.9999966 52.82810367 0.37734361 -3.032774435 10 -1

0.8 1.87654 2.140147 9 -26.6533 0.4 7.180556829 139.1805568 9.724907913 0.0698726 -2.991599511 9 -2

0.9 1.94641 -0.85145 7 -29.7838 0.4 6.831716453 138.8317165 -30.7051073 -0.2211678 -2.591489193 7 -1

1 1.72524 -3.44294 6 -29.6729 0.4 7.715869586 139.7158696 -67.8440333 -0.4855857 -2.755102098 6 -4

1.1 1.23966 -6.19804 2 -25.0793 0.4 7.659431878 139.6594319 -99.3633473 -0.7114689 -1.49597194 2 -2

1.2 0.52819 -7.69402 0 4.689891 0.4 4.050871502 136.0508715 -98.6532715 -0.7251205 1.093937806 0 0

1.3 -0.1969 -6.60008 0 11.6578 0.4 -1.56639581 130.4336042 -79.8931913 -0.61252 0.841743133 0 0

1.4 -0.8095 -5.75833 0 -12.1478 0.4 -5.847031465 126.1529685 -83.5416247 -0.6622248 -1.984352681 0 0

1.5 -1.4717 -7.74269 0 -43.3504 0.4 -7.995748191 124.0042518 -129.0807 -1.0409377 -5.832550708 0 0

1.6 -2.5126 -13.5752 0 10.81002 0.4 -1.300673912 130.6993261 -172.490927 -1.3197538 0.592599903 0
5.2.5 Examples

Example 5.2 An SDF system has the following properties: m = 0.2533 kip-
sec2/in., k = 10 kips/in., Tn = 1 sec (ωn = 6.283 rad/sec), and ζ = 0.05.
Determine the response u(t) of this system to p(t) defined by the half-cycle sine
pulse force shown in Fig. E5.1 by (a) using piecewise linear interpolation of
p(t) with ∆t = 0.1 sec, and (b) evaluating the theoretical solution.
Solution：
Example 5.3 Calculate the response of the structure (Fig.(a)) subjected to
the blast loading history shown in Fig (b) using linear acceleration method.
The first two steps need to be manually calculated, compared with the
computing result.The displacement history for the time 0﹤ t﹤ 0.72 sec, Δτ
= 0.12sec.