11.8. Response of MDOF Systems to Dynamic Loading

Try these first

1. 1.

   What is an MDOF system?

   Hint

   Remember what 'degree of freedom' means.

2. 2.

   Define dynamic loading.

   Hint

   Think of earthquakes and strong winds.

3. 3.

   What represents ground acceleration in the equations of motion?

   • {u''(t)}
   • {u''_g(t)}
   • {f(t)}

   Hint

   Think about what device senses the ground's movement.

4. 4.

   True or False: The modal superposition method only works for undamped systems.

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   Focus on the versatility of the technique.

5. 5.

   Given an MDOF system with specific parameters, derive the equations of motion and apply modal superposition to solve for displacements under dynamic loading.

   Hint

   Refer back to definitions and previous examples listed in the notes.

6. 6.

   Analyze how changes in ground acceleration impact the overall response of an MDOF system under seismic loading.

   Hint

   How do you expect buildings to react to stronger or weaker ground shakes?