Structural Dynamics - 2021 entry

Much of modern engineering involves structures that move or have parts which move, e.g. automotive/aerospace structures, gas turbines used to propel aircraft or rotating components in machine tools. Predicting and avoiding their dynamic structural failure is at the heart of engineering design.

This module explores techniques for analysing how structures respond to dynamic loading and how they can be designed to avoid adverse effects. The module will initially consider relatively simple structures with one or two degrees of freedom, and then move on to numerical techniques for more complex structures. It will also cover some techniques for vibration measurement, data analysis and will then focus you on specific problems of environmental vibrations affecting serviceability of structures occupied and dynamically excited by humans and underground traffic.

The module aims to increase your depth of understanding of structural dynamics in Engineering, particularly with respect to vibrations of mechanical, aerospace and civil structures. This module is to extend your understanding of structural behaviour, by teaching you about advanced concepts in the context of design and/or assessment of real-life vibration engineering problems. These are aligned to key research activities of the College and hence the teaching will be informed by recent developments in these areas.

All material will be supplemented by real world case studies as appropriate.

1: importance of dynamics for structural performance: examples of state-of- the-art practice;

2: undamped/damped systems;

4: free/forced vibration response;

5: modal analysis and mode superposition technique;

6: structural idealisation;

7: review of numerical modelling using commercial FE codes (such as ANSYS);

8: review of fundamental principles input/output relationships of linear systems;

9: testing techniques (excitation methods, instrumentation, procedures);

10: validation of modal test results;

11: curve fitting of frequency response function data;

12: vibration serviceability design;

13: Human-induced excitation;

14: In-service vibration monitoring.

As the module is assessed by the examination and coursework, the ref/def will be examination. The candidates will be awarded the ref/def examination mark combined with the original coursework mark.

Reading list for this module: