Chapter 2

Single Degree of Freedom Systems

 Tutorial of
Damped Free Vibration
Summary

Free vibration：

The equation of motion:

The initial conditions:

 Summary

1. Critical damping
Damping ratio
2. Three cases with different magnitude of damping ratio:
(1) If ζ 1, structure system is called underdamped system;
(2) If ζ 1, structure system is called critically damped system;
(3) If ζ 1, structure system is called overdamped system.

3 The solution of underdamped system subject to the initial

conditions is:
Summary
4 Dynamic properties of Undamped V.S. Damped Free Vibration

Undamped system Damped

system
Natural frequency (rad/s)
D  n 1  2

Natural Period (s)

5 The important effect of damping is on the rate at which free

vibration decays. Through the analysis of the decay curve of the
system, the damping ratio of different systems can be effectively
distinguished.
Summary

6 For the case when the damping ratio is small, it can be estimated
using the ratio of peaks over j circles:

The natural period of the system can be determined from the

free vibration record by measuring the time required to complete
one cycle of vibration.
u(t)
u1 TD TD
ui ui+1

ti ti+TD t
Question 01

Assume that the mass, stiffness and damping coefficient of a SDOF

system are given by: m  3.502 105 kg , k  7004 kN / m and
c  490.28 kN  s / m . If the system is subjected to free vibration with the
initial conditions u (0)  1.778 cm , u (0)  14.22 cm / s , determine the
displacement and velocity of the SDOF system at t  1s .
 Solution 01
The natural frequency of undamped system is given by:
k 7004  103
n =  =4.472 rad / s
m 3.502  105
Given the damping coefficient c  490.28 kN  s / m, the damping ratio is given by:
c c 490.28  103
 = =   0.1565
ccr 2mn 2  3.502  10  4.472
5

The natural frequency of the damped system is given by

D  n 1   2  4.472 1  0.15652  4.417 rad / s
Therefore, the displacement is given by:
  u (0)  u (0)n   nt
u (t ) = u (0) cos Dt    sin Dt  e
  D  
  14.22  1.778  0.1565  4.472   0.15654.472t
= 1.778cos 4.417t    sin 4.417 t e
  4.417  
 1.778cos 4.417t  3.501sin 4.417t  e 0.699t
 Solution of Q01
The velocity is given by taking the first derivative of v(t ):

u (t )= 1.778 cos 4.417t  3.501sin 4.417t  e 0.699t 

= 0.6999u (t )   1.778  4.417 sin 4.417t  3.501 4.417 cos 4.417t  e0.6999t
Substituting t=1 into above equations gives:
u (1.0) = 1.778cos 4.417  3.501sin 4.417  e 0.6999  1.920 cm
u (1.0) = 0.6999v(1.0)   7.583sin 4.417  15.46 cos 4.417  e 0.6999  2.712 cm / s
Question of 02(a)

Assume that a SDOF with damping ratio of ζ is subjected to free

vibration. Please select the proper displacement-time curve for the
following damping ratios: (i) ζ=0 ; (ii) ζ=0.05 ; (iii) ζ=1.5 .
 Solution of Q02(a)
(i) ζ=0 : A
Explanation: Undamped system, there will be no decay;
(i) ζ=0.05 : C
Explanation: Underdamped system, there is decay and oscillation.
(i) ζ=1.5: B
Explanation: Overdamped system, there is no oscillation.
Question 02(b)
Assume that the damping ratio of a SDOF system is ζ=1.8. Please
determine the most possible displacement-time curve for the
SDOF system when it is subjected to free vibration.
Solution of Q02(b)
The answer is D.
Explanation: As ζ=1.8, it is overdamped system, and there will be
no oscillations.
Question 02(c)
Assume that a SDOF system with the damping ratio of ζ is subjected
to free vibration. Given the same initial condition, please determine
the corresponding free decay motion from the following three figures
for the SDOF system when the damping ratio varies as follows: (i)
ζ=1.5% ; (ii) ζ=5% ; (iii) ζ=15% .

A
B

C
Solution of Q02(c)

(i) ζ=1.5%: B; (ii) ζ=5%: C; (iii) ζ=15%: A

Reason: The system with larger damping ratio has larger free
decay rate.

A
B

C
Question of Q 03
The viscous damping ratio of a SDOF system is known to be
ζ=0.05. Assume that the system is subjected to free vibration, and
the response of the free vibration at ti is given by
 t  u  0  +nu  0  
u (ti )  e u  0  cos Dti  sin Dti 
n i

 D 
Please determine:
1) the ratio of successive peaks;
2) the ratio of peaks over 6 cycles.
 Solution 03
(1) According to the response of free decayed vibration of damped system, the ratio of
successive peaks is given by
ui u (ti ) 2
  exp(nTD )  exp( )
ui 1 u (ti 1 ) 1  2

By substituting ζ  0.05 into the above equaion, one has

ui 2  0.05
 exp( )  1.3696
ui 1 1  0.05 2

ui ui ui 1 2
(2)Since =e with  = ln
j
 ln   ,
ui  j ui 1 ui  2 1- 2

one can get the ratio of peaks over 6 cycles as follows:

12 12 0.05
ui 1- 2
=e6 =e =e 1-0.052
 6.6032
ui  6
 Question 04
The weight W of the building is 889.6 kN and the building is
subjected to free vibration by releasing it (at time t=0) from a
displacement of 3.048 cm. If the maximum displacement on the return
swing is 2.184 cm at t=0.64 sec, please determine:
(a) the damping ratio ;
(b) the lateral spring stiffness ;
(c) the damping coefficient
 Solution 04
(a) u0 2
Since ln  ,
u1 1  2

 u0   3.048 
thus one has   2  ln   2  ln   5.30%
 u1   2.184 
(b)
Since the maximum displacement on the return swing is 2.184 at t=0.64sec
Thus one has the natural peripd of the damped system TD  0.64 s.
Tn  TD 1- 2  0.64  1- 2 =0.639s
For a system with small damping, one can approximate as
2 m W
Tn   2  2  0.64
n k kg
By rearranging the above equation, one has
4 2 m 4 2W 4 2  889.6  103
k  2   8742.96 kN / m
Tn 2
Tn g 0.639  9.807
2
 Solution 04
(c) The damping coefficient c is given by
W 2
c  2 mn  2 ( )
g Tn
4  889.6  103    5.3 102
  94.4 kN s / m
0.64  9.807
Example 05
In order to evaluate the dynamic properties of a one-story frame, a
free-vibration test is made. A cable attached to the frame a lateral
(horizontal) force of 73kN and pulls the girder horizontally by 5cm.
The cable is suddenly cut and the resulting free vibration is
recorded. At the end of four complete cycles, the time is 2.0 sec and
the amplitude is 2.5cm.
Questions
From these data compute the following:
①damping ratio ζ;
②natural period of undamped
vibration Tn;
③equivalent stiffness k;
④equivalent mass m;
⑤damping coefficient c;
⑥number of cycles required for the displacement
amplitude to decrease to 0.5 cm.
Solution of Q05

① Computing damping ratio ζ

Substituting ui=5.0cm，j=4，ui+j =2.5cm into

gives:

Assumption of small damping is valid.

Solution of Q05

② Computing natural period of undamped vibration Tn

Damped natural period:
2.0
TD   0.5sec
4
Undamped natural period:

Tn TD 1  2

 0.5 1 0.0276  0.4998 0.5sec

2

For small damping systems, the damped natural period

are approximately equal to the undamped natural
period Tn .
Solution of Q05

③ Computing equivalent stiffness k

④ Computing equivalent mass m

Solution of Q05

⑤ Computing damping coefficient c

c c c
  
ccr 2mn 2 mk

  0.0276 m  9.24t k  1460 kN m

c   (2 km)
 0.0276 2 1460 9.24  6.41kN s m
Solution of Q05

⑥ The number of cycles required for the displacement

amplitude to decrease to 0.5 cm.
1 ui 1 ui
 ln j ln
2 j ui j 2 ui j

  0.0276 ui  5cm ui j 0.5cm

1 ui 1 5
j ln  ln  13.2813 cycles
2 ui j 2  0.0276 0.5
Question 06
For the simply supported massless beam, the lumped mass located in
point 1 is denoted by m . The flexural rigidity of the uniform beam is
denoted by EI  8000 N/m 2 , a  2 m, c  100 N  s/m and
m  6 kg . Two forces P (t ) and Q (t ) are acting on point 2 and point
3. Please do the following:
a) Determine the flexibility coefficients 11 , 12 , 13 ;
b) List the equation of motion by the flexibility method;
c) Determine the natural frequency n ;
d) Determine the critical damping ccr and damping ratio  .

point 2 point 3
point 1
 Solution 06
(a)
When the forces are 1 acting on point 1, point 2, and
y1
point 3, one can draw the bending moment diagram as: A2
A3 A4
point 2 point 3
point 1
Then, one has
A1
1 y4

EI 
y2 y3
11  M 1  M 1dx

1  1 2a  4 a 3
   4a  a    
EI  2 3  3EI
1
EI 
12  M 2  M 1dx

1  3a 1  2 a   a 1  a 2 a   1  a 1 a   1  2 a  
    a         a           a  a          a  2 a       
EI  4 2  3 2   2 2  2 3 4   2  2 3 4   2  3 2  
A1 y1 A2 y2 A3 y3 A4 y4
11a 3

12 EI
1 11a 3
13 
EI  M 3  M 1dx 
12 EI
According to symmetry
 Solution 06
(b) List the equation of motion by the flexibility method:

u (t )  11 ( mu(t )  cu (t ))  12 P (t )  13Q(t )

u (t ) 12 13
  mu(t )  cu (t )  P (t )  Q(t )
11 11 11
3EIu (t ) 33
 3
 mu(t )  cu (t )  ( P (t )  Q(t ))
4a 48
33
 6u(t )  100u (t )  750u (t )  ( P (t )  Q(t ))
48

Stiffness coefficient
 Solution 06
(c) Determine the natural frequency n

33
EOM: 6u(t )  100u (t )  750u (t )  ( P (t )  Q(t ))
48
k 750
n    11.18 rad/s
m 6

(d) Critical damping:

ccr  2mn  (2)  (6)  (11.18)  134.16 N  s/m
Damping ratio:
c 100
    0.745
ccr 134.16