Anticipating and Simulating Unpredictable Loads for Structural Engineers
AEC Coffee-Break Series
Dynamic behavior is an essential structural characteristic that structural engineers should consider. The effects of dynamic loads (earthquakes, blasts, vibrations, or any time-varying loading) are often greater than static loads and can vary in magnitude at non-periodical time intervals, increasing the unpredictability and posing more risk of damage to structures.
These concise 20-minute presentations offer valuable insights and practical tips to understand how S-FRAME can help to simulate dynamic behaviors.
The covered topics encompass basic principles of dynamics, vibration analysis, time history analysis, employing past data to forecast your model's reaction, and interpreting the results of various analyses to understand structural behavior.
Please refer to the Event's link for detailed information for each of the scheduled sessions, which will start by the end of July, and finish around mid-August. The registration link can be found in the Event's post too.
Session 1: Why Should I Perform a Vibration Analysis?
Understanding Your Structure's Dynamic Properties with Vibration Analysis
When performing any dynamic analysis, it is essential to understand the natural frequencies, modes of vibration, and more. Performing this analysis type is a good first step to any dynamic analysis problem and is a great way to troubleshoot your model. In this webinar, we will examine some helpful tips when running vibration analysis, how to interpret the results, and show why this is a great way to identify potential model integrity issues early in your workflow.
Session 2: Demystifying Seismic Loads
Response Spectrum and Equivalent Lateral/Static Force Procedure Analysis
The random nature of seismic events can make predicting accurate earthquake loads on a structure challenging. The Response Spectrum Method estimates the maximum response of a structure to Seismic Loads based on historical ground motion data, site parameters, and more.
This presentation describes how Structural Engineers can apply these estimated seismic loads and combine them with other loading conditions for their structural design. We will show the workflows involved in determining the forces and ensuing accurate responses to these loads.
Session 3: Time History Analysis – It's Easier Than You Think
Ensuring safety, resilience, and code compliance by accurately assessing the impacts of time-varying loads on structures
Real-world conditions our structures are exposed to are not always static, so studying a structural model's response to dynamic loading is important. A time history analysis using S-FRAME can show how the structure behaves when subject to loads that vary with time. This time history analysis can be represented as one of the following:
- Base Motion (Ground motion due to seismic effects)
- Multi-Support Base Motion (Ground motion with different accelerograms at different supports
- Nodal Excitation (impact loads, machine vibration, etc.)
This presentation discusses how to model these loads and observe a structure's response. We will discuss time step size, damping, and more.