BIRLA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY & SCIENCE, PILANI

HYDERABAD CAMPUS

Course: (CE G551) Dynamics of structures FIRST SEMESTER 2016-2017

Maximum Marks: 30 Date: 08.12.2016
Max Duration: 180 Min Component Weightage: 30%

Comprehensive Exam (Open book)

Note: 1. Answer All questions.

2. Text books, reference books, study notes and scientific calculators are allowed.
3. Use of Mobiles / electronic gadgets is strictly prohibited.
4. Notations used are standard and will have their usual meaning.
5. Assume any suitable data, if necessary.

1. A 10,000 litre emergency fire-fighting water tank is supported 12m above the ground on a 0.6m
diameter steel tube (I=0.0005m4, E=200GPa) which cantilevers from a fixed base (see figure below).
The tank weighs 4 tonnes when empty. The structure is subjected to an earthquake characterised by
the response spectrum shown in the figure. Assuming the tank is full, calculate the maximum
deflection at tank level and the maximum bending moment in the supporting structure. Would it have
been desirable to empty, or partially empty the tank in order to reduce the seismic effects? (Provide
calculations in support of your answer).
NOTE: Any effects associated with sloshing of the tank contents may be ignored. The total mass of
the tank plus contents may be considered as a single mass concentrated at the top of the
supporting tube.

2. The building shown in Fig. is subjected to an explosion. The air pressure wave caused by the
explosion varies in the form shown in adjacent Fig. We are interested in obtaining the response of the
structure in the short direction, as shown in the figure. Damping of the structure, for the displacement
amplitude expected, is estimated to be ξ = 2% of critical. All girders of the frames have width b = 0.40
m and depth h = 0.50 m. All columns are square with a section side dimension of h = 0.40 m. The
 modulus of elasticity of the structure is E = 25 GPa. The building has a mass per unit area of 1000
kg/m2. The explosion occurred far away, therefore we can assume that the pressure applied to the
building doesn’t vary with height and is applied uniformly to the building façade. The tributary area
for application of the pressure at the top story is 10m × 1.5 m = 15 m2 and for the other floors 10m × 3
m = 30 m2. Find the mass, stiffness characteristics of the building in the short direction using lumped
mass. Find the equivalent force corresponding to each lumped mass. Express the dynamic differential
equation of motion due to this blast load for this building in terms of matrix. State which method you
would opt for solution and why? Do not solve for solution.

3. A single story shear frame shown in Fig. is subjected to arbitrary excitation force specified in adjucent
Fig. The rigid girder supports a load of 25.57kN/m. Assume the columns bend about their major axis
and neglect their mass, and assuming damping factor of  = 0.02 for steel structures, E = 200GPa.
Using central difference method to evaluate dynamic response for displacement, velocity and
acceleration in the interval 0 ≤ t ≤ 1s I in an interval of 0.1 sec. Tabulate results till 0.5 sec.

4. Industrial manufacturing plant weighing 800 tonnes has to be supported 5m above the working floor
in a factory. Two different schemes are being considered as shown in the sketch below. Scheme A
involves suspending the plant on a pendulum-like platform from a light, rigid, trussed structure.
Scheme B employs a high strength reinforced concrete framed structure. The structure is to be
designed for an acceleration response spectrum , where T is the natural period (seconds),
√
is the damping ratio and g = 9.8m/s . (6 Marks)
2
 Taking as 0.05 for both schemes and ignoring the self-mass of the structures, calculate
a. The maximum relative deflection of the 800 tonne mass for each scheme.
b. The maximum horizontal force exerted on the supporting structure by the 800 tonne mass in each
scheme.
c. The maximum force exerted on each damper in scheme A.
d. In an attempt to reduce the deflection in scheme A,  is increased to 0.25. What is the resulting
deflection and what force will each damper now have to be carry?
e. What other means could be used to reduce the deflection in scheme A, and what adverse effects
would your suggested deflection-control measures have?

5. Two architecturally identical looking building frames are being designed. All columns are made out of
concrete. Columns have identical cross-sectional dimensions and height. The columns can be assumed axially
incompressible. The floor slabs are rigid. Floor weights are shown on the sketches below. The weights of the
columns are negligible compared to floor weights. The only difference between the two frames is that in one
frame the ground story columns are pinned to the foundation while in the other one the ground story columns
are attached to the foundation with fixed connections.
a. Sketch the approximate fundamental modeshape for each frame using the displacements caused by mass-
proportional loading. No need to derive.
b. If the lateral stiffness of each column with both ends fixed is 1000 kN/m and the weight of a bay-wide floor
slab is 20 kN (i.e., W=20 kN). Consider the appropriate reduction in stiffness of column due to pinned end.
Estimate the fundamental period of each frame.
c. Considering the design spectrum shown below, for each frame find the design base shear force due to
fundamental mode response
6. The equation of motion for a continuous flexural system is given by . Assuming the
solution to be ( ) ( ) () ( )( ), the equation of motion will become
or , where, . Where, ω is the natural frequency of the system.
The general solution to Y is given by: .
(a) For a cantilever beam apply the appropriate boundary conditions and obtain the expression for the
natural frequencies and mode shapes of the continuous system.
(b) The experimental study using impact hammer test on the rectangular cantilever beam of length L = 0.42 m,
Breath B = 0.025 m, Depth D = 0.00594 m, Young's Modulus E = 2x1011 N/m2 , Density = 7860.0
Kg/m3, shows the following acceleration response is as shown below:
The same response after Fast Fourier Transform to frequency domain is shown in Figure .
From the graph measure the first three recorded natural frequencies of the beam
Also using the graph, calculate the damping ratio corresponding to each mode using half power band width
method. (Attach the graphs with measurements)
 Determine the first five natural frequencies of a Rectangular Cantilever Beam using the expressions derived
under 5(a). Compare the natural frequencies with experimental results and express the numerical results
error in percentage.
Use this tabular form to fill the results.
For a tested cantilever beam: L = 0.42 m, Breath B = 0.025 m, Depth D = 0.00594 m, Young's Modulus
E = 2x1011 N/m2, Density = 7860.0 Kg/m3 , A= 1.485 x10-4 m2, I=4.366345 x10-10 m4 .

Mode Expt. Analytical Damping

Freq. (Hz) Freq. (Hz) Error (%) ratio ζ in %

(c) Draw the mode shapes corresponding to first five natural frequencies.