Computational tools for analysis of responses to transient loading

Abstract

Few engineers have the skills for undertaking their own sanity checks on analyses involving transient loadings including impact loads or ground shocks. Codes of practice often resort to the use of equivalent static loading which may give misleading results. This paper provides an introduction to some useful concepts which provide approximate, and realistic, solutions to dynamic problems. An EXCEL spreadsheet that is capable of simulating the transient response behaviour of two-degree-of-freedom systems is presented. Manual calculation skills combined with "homemade" tools like the ones presented in this paper would enable engineers to undertake their own sanity checks on computer output from..