Department of Civil Engineering Name:––––––––––––––––––––
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY CALICUT –––––––––––––––––––––––––
Reg. No.––––––––––––––––––
Winter Semester 2022-2023 –––––
Practice Assignment No. 1
CE6430D – DYNAMICS OF SOILS AND FOUNDATIONS
1. A mass m kg is attached to a spring with spring constant k kN/m. The natural frequency of the
system is 40 Hz. If the mass is increased by 1 kg, the natural frequency of the system is reduced
by 8 Hz. Find ‘m’ and ‘k’.
2. The ratio k/m of a spring mass system is given as 4.0. If the mass is deflected 2 cm down,
measured from its equilibrium position, and given an upward velocity of 8 cm/sec, determine its
amplitude and maximum acceleration.
3. A platform of weight W= 18000 N is being supported by four equal columns which are clamped
to the foundation as well as to the platform. Experimentally it has been determined that a static
force of F=4500 N applied horizontally to the platform produces a displacement of 0.254 cm. It is
estimated that damping in the structures is of the order of 5% of the critical damping. Determine
for this structure the following: (a) undrained natural frequency, (b) absolute damping coefficient,
(c) logarithmic decrement, and (d) the number of cycles and the time required for the amplitude
of motion to be reduced from an initial value of 0.254 cm to 0.0254 cm.
4. A spring mass system is excited by a force F0 (sint). At resonance the amplitude is measured to
be 0.58 cm. At 0.80 resonant frequency, the amplitude is measured to be 0.46 cm. Determine the
damping ratio of the system.
5. A weight of 60 N suspended by a spring of stiffness 12 N/cm is forced to vibrate by a harmonic
force of 12 N/cm. Assume viscous damping of c=0.86 N-Sec/cm, find (a) the resonant frequency,
(b) the amplitude at resonance, (c) the phase angle at resonance, (d) the frequency corresponding
to the peak amplitude, (e) the peak amplitude and (f) the phase angle corresponding to peak
amplitude.
6. An air compressor, weighing 4448 N and operating at 1500 rpm is to be mounted on a suitable
isolator. A helical spring with a stiffness of 8000 kN/m, another helical spring with a stiffness of
2670 kN/m and a shock absorber with a damping ratio of 0.15 are available for use. Select the
best possible isolation system for the compressor.
7. A weight of 50 N is suspended from a spring of stiffness 4000 N/m and is subjected to a
hormonic force of amplitude 60 N and frequency 6 Hz. Find (a) extension of the spring due to the
suspended weight, (b) the static displacement of the spring due to the maximum applied force,
and (c) the amplitude of forced motion of the weight.
8. Consider a spring mass system with k=4000 N/m and m=10 kg subject to a hormonic force
F(t)=400 cos 10t N. Find and plot the total response of the system under the following initial
conditions. (a) xo =0.1 m and xo =0, (b) xo = 0 and xo =10 m/s, & (c) xo =0.1 m and xo =10 m/s
9. A spring mass system consists of a mass weighing 100 N and a spring with a stiffness of 2000
N/m. The mass is subjected to resonance by a hormonic force F(t)=25 cos t N. Find the
amplitude of the forced motion at the end of (a) ¼ cycle, (b) 2.5 cycle, and (c) 5.75 cycles.
10. A mass ‘m’ is suspended from a spring of stiffness 4000 N/m and is subjected to a harmonic force
having an amplitude of 100 N and a frequency of 5 Hz. The amplitude of the forced motion of the
mass is observed to be 20 mm. Find the value of ‘m’.
11. A spring mass system with m=10 kg and k=5000 N/m is subjected to a harmonic force of
amplitude 250 N and frequency . If the maximum amplitude of the mass is observed to be 100
mm, find the value of .
12. Consider a spring mass damper system with k=4000 N/m, m=10 kg, and c=40 N-s/m. Find the
steady state and total responses of the system under the hormonic force F(t)=200 cos 10t N and
the initial conditions of xo =0.1 m and xo =0.
CE6430D Dynamics of Soils and Foundations, Winter Semester 2022-2023