Computational Technology Resources - CCP

Keywords: educational software, structural dynamics, earthquake engineering, hysteretic systems, Bouc-Wen.

Summary

MySpec is an educational computer program that has been designed to enhance learning in subjects that cover structural dynamics, earthquake engineering and hysteretic systems at graduate and post-graduate level.

A deeper understanding of the response of real multi-degree-of-freedom structures under dynamic excitation is of primal importance for engineers. This knowledge, which is not always intuitive, may be assisted enormously by means of interactive software that provides results for simplified systems, such as single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems or two-degree-of-freedom (2DoF) systems.

This is exactly the reason mySpec was written: to provide the undergraduate and graduate student a user-friendly computational tool that is capable of analyzing simple systems with various simple or more advanced models and to provide results in a visual and comprehensive way, thus revealing both qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the response.

The topics covered are the following: linear elastic analysis (unidirectional and bidirectional); elastic response spectra; non-linear analysis (bilinear) and Bouc-Wen hysteretic systems (unidirectional and bidirectional). Viscous damping can be used in all cases.

The typical excitation corresponds to a ground motion specified by an earthquake accelerogram. However, an arbitrary excitation force can be used as well, either alone or combined with an earthquake. This allows the user to experiment with excitations with different dynamic characteristics and to observe the varying response of structural systems in a visual and comprehensive way. Moreover, analysis can be extended beyond the time frame of the excitation in order to evaluate the response of the system in free vibration, e.g. blast loads.

All diagrams of interest can be plotted on the screen or sent to the printer. Also, the results can be exported in the form of ASCII text files in order to be further processed using spreadsheets. Various unit systems may be used. The program is capable of producing a two or three-dimensional simulation of the behaviour of the system in animated form, including the motion of the ground. It is also accompanied by a complete user manual which analyzes the capabilities of the program and the underlying theory. All file formats necessary are also described in the manual.

This paper presents the basic features of mySpec and the efficiency of the underlying theory together with its use in an academic environment.

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Front Page Browse CCP CSETS CTR IJRT Other Authors Search Purchase Guide FAQ Contact us	Civil-Comp Proceedings ISSN 1759-3433 CCP: 83 PROCEEDINGS OF THE EIGHTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON COMPUTATIONAL STRUCTURES TECHNOLOGY Edited by: B.H.V. Topping, G. Montero and R. Montenegro Paper 295 MYSPEC: Educational Software for Structural Dynamics and Hysteretic Systems A.E. Charalampakis and V.K. Koumousis Institute of Structural Analysis and Aseismic Research, National Technical University of Athens, NTUA, Athens, Greece doi:10.4203/ccp.83.295 purchase the full-text of this paper Full Bibliographic Reference for this paper A.E. Charalampakis, V.K. Koumousis, "MYSPEC: Educational Software for Structural Dynamics and Hysteretic Systems", in B.H.V. Topping, G. Montero, R. Montenegro, (Editors), "Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Computational Structures Technology", Civil-Comp Press, Stirlingshire, UK, Paper 295, 2006. doi:10.4203/ccp.83.295 Keywords: educational software, structural dynamics, earthquake engineering, hysteretic systems, Bouc-Wen. Summary MySpec is an educational computer program that has been designed to enhance learning in subjects that cover structural dynamics, earthquake engineering and hysteretic systems at graduate and post-graduate level. A deeper understanding of the response of real multi-degree-of-freedom structures under dynamic excitation is of primal importance for engineers. This knowledge, which is not always intuitive, may be assisted enormously by means of interactive software that provides results for simplified systems, such as single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems or two-degree-of-freedom (2DoF) systems. This is exactly the reason mySpec was written: to provide the undergraduate and graduate student a user-friendly computational tool that is capable of analyzing simple systems with various simple or more advanced models and to provide results in a visual and comprehensive way, thus revealing both qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the response. The topics covered are the following: linear elastic analysis (unidirectional and bidirectional); elastic response spectra; non-linear analysis (bilinear) and Bouc-Wen hysteretic systems (unidirectional and bidirectional). Viscous damping can be used in all cases. The typical excitation corresponds to a ground motion specified by an earthquake accelerogram. However, an arbitrary excitation force can be used as well, either alone or combined with an earthquake. This allows the user to experiment with excitations with different dynamic characteristics and to observe the varying response of structural systems in a visual and comprehensive way. Moreover, analysis can be extended beyond the time frame of the excitation in order to evaluate the response of the system in free vibration, e.g. blast loads. All diagrams of interest can be plotted on the screen or sent to the printer. Also, the results can be exported in the form of ASCII text files in order to be further processed using spreadsheets. Various unit systems may be used. The program is capable of producing a two or three-dimensional simulation of the behaviour of the system in animated form, including the motion of the ground. It is also accompanied by a complete user manual which analyzes the capabilities of the program and the underlying theory. All file formats necessary are also described in the manual. This paper presents the basic features of mySpec and the efficiency of the underlying theory together with its use in an academic environment. purchase the full-text of this paper (price £20) go to the previous paper go to the next paper return to the table of contents return to the book description purchase this book (price £140 +P&P)
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