FREE VIBRATION OF SDOF
SYSTEM
-Damped Free Vibration
Damping
• It is not possible to have a device which vibrates under the ideal condition
of no damping
• Forces designated as damping or frictional forces are always present in the
system.
• These forces dissipate energy or the presence of these forces constitute a
mechanism through which the mechanical energy of the system , kinetic or
potential is transformed to other forms of energy such as heat.
Damping
• The process by which free vibration steadily diminishes in amplitude is called
damping
• In damping the energy of the vibrating system is dissipated by various mechanisms
and often more than one mechanism may be present at the same time.
• In simple laboratory model most of the energy dissipation is presumed to arise from
the thermal effect of repeated elastic straining of the material and from the internal
friction when a solid is deformed.
• In actual structures many other mechanisms also contribute to the energy
dissipation.
Damping
• In a vibrating building, these include,
1. friction at steel connections
2. opening and closing of micro cracks in concrete
3. friction between structure itself and non structural elements such as
partition walls.
• It is impossible to identify or describe mathematically each of these
energy-dissipating mechanisms in an actual building.
Damped free vibration:
• Mathematical Model:
k x
m
c
• Damping in actual structures is usually represented in a highly idealized
manner.
• It may be idealized by a linear viscous damper or dashpot.
• In dynamic analysis, it is assumed that, the damping forces are
proportional to the magnitude of the velocity and opposite to the direction
of motion.
• This type of damping is known as viscous damping. It is the type of
damping force that could be developed in a body restrained in its motion
by a surrounding viscous fluid.
• The damping coefficient is so selected that the vibrational energy it
dissipates is equivalent to the energy dissipated in all the damping
mechanisms of the actual structure.
• This idealization is therefore called equivalent viscous damping.
Equation of motion:
m c + k x =0 ……………………..( 1 )
The trial solution x = Acos or x = Asin t will not satisfy eqn.(1)
k x
Assume trail solution x = C m
c
mCp2 +cCp +kC =0
x=C
Which reduces to the characteristic eqn. =Cp
= Cp2
mp2 + cp + k =0
The roots of this quadratic equation are,
2
p1,p2 =
The general solution to eqn. (1) is given by the superposition of the two
possible soln.
x(t) = C1 + C2
Where C1 and C2 are constants of integration to be determined from
initial conditions.
2
• p1,p2 =
2
• Three distinct cases may occur, depending on the value of
2
• The limiting case in which =0 is called critical damping.
Critically damped system:
For a system with critical damping,
2 2
=0 or c2 =
c =ccr = 2
ccr – critical damping value
ccr = 2m = [since ]( –natural frequency of the system)
In critically damped system, the roots of the characteristic eqn. are
equal.
p1, p2 =
The general solution is given by,
x1(t) = C1
And another independent soln. by
x2(t) = C2 t
The general solution is given by
x(t) = (C1+C2t)
• There is no oscillation about the free deflection position.
• The displacement returns to zero exponentially .
• Critically damped condition : is the smallest amount of damping for
which no oscillation occurs in the free response condition.
Over damped system: c > ccr
The damping coefficient is greater than the value of critical damping.
2
is positive.
The two roots of the characteristic equation are real and distinct.
Soln. of the eqn is given by,
x(t) = C1 + C2
In overdamped and critically damped system, the resulting motion is not
oscillatory.
The magnitude of oscillation decays exponentially to zero with time.
In overdamping, time taken to reduce the amplitude to zero is more, when
compared to critical damping.
Exponential decay takes place slowly.
Under damped system: c < ccr
• The damping coefficient is less than the value of critical damping.
2
• is negative.
• The two roots of the characteristic equation are complex conjugates.
2
• p1,p2 = where, i=
Using Euler’s eqns., which relate exponential and trigonometric functions,
= cos x + i sin x
= cos x - i sin x
The general soln. of the undamped system is,
x(t) = (A cos 𝐷 + B sin 𝐷 )
Where A and B are constants of integration and 𝐷 is the damped frequency
of the system.
2
𝐷 = or 𝐷=
2 (since = )
Damping ratio of the system =
Introducing initial conditions, when at time t = 0, x = x0 and = 0 or v0
x(t) = (x0cos 𝐷 + sin 𝐷 )
Or
x(t) =C (cos 𝐷 - )
Where
2 2
C= 0 and
tan =
• The motion is oscillatory, but not periodic.
• The amplitude of vibration is not constant during the motion,
• but,
• decreases for successive cycles
• The oscillation occurs at equal intervals of time.
This time interval is designated as damped period of vibration.( TD)
TD = =
The damping coeft. For real structures is much less than the critical damping
coeft. (usually ranges between 2 to 20% of critical damping).
Taking the max. value of ξ = 0.2, 𝐷 = 0.98
It is seen that the frequency of vibration for a system with even 20%
damping ratio is equal to undamped natural frequency.
In practice natural frequency of a damped system may be taken tobe equal
to the undamped natural frequency.
Logarithmic Decrement (δ)
• The rate of decay of amplitude may be expressed by the logarithmic
decrement δ which is defined as the natural logarithm of the ratio of
any two successive peak amplitudes x1 and x2 in free vibration.
δ = ln
Evaluation of damping from logarithmic
decrement
x(t) = C cos(ωDt – α)
When cos(ωDt – α) = 1, the displacement is on the points of the
exponential curve x(t) = C
- For two consecutive peaks,
- x1 at time t1 and x2 at TD second later
x1 = C x2 = C
x1 = C x2 = C
Dividing the two peak amplitudes and taking the natural logarithm,
δ = ln = 𝐷
δ=2 / 2 (since 𝐷 =2 2 )
For small values of damping ratio,
δ 2
The damping ratio, can be calculated, after experimentally
determining the amplitudes of two successive peaks of the system in
free vibration.
Tutorial 1
A vibrating system consisting of a weight of W = 10N and a spring with stiffness K =
20 N/cm is viscously damped, so that the ratio of two consecutive amplitudes is
1.00 to 0.85. Determine
a) The natural frequency of the undamped system
b) The logarithmic decrement
c) The damping ratio
d) The damping coefficient
e) The damped natural frequency
Tutorial 2
A platform of weight W= 4000N 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=1000N applied horizontally to the platform produces a displacement Δ =
0.254cm. It is estimated that the damping in the structure is of the order of 5% of the critical
damping. Determine for this structure the following:
a)Undamped natural frequency
b)Absolute damping coefficient
c)Logarithmic decrement
d)The number of cycles and the time required for the amplitude of motion to be reduced from
an initial value of 0.254cm to 0.0254cm
