A family of explicit algorithms for general pseudodynamic testing

A new family of explicit pseudodynamic algorithms is proposed for general pseudodynamic testing. One particular subfamily seems very promising for use in general pseudodynamic testing since the stability problem for a structure does not need to be considered. This is because this subfamily is unconditionally stable for any instantaneous stiffness softening system, linear elastic system and instantaneous stiffness hardening system that might occur in the pseudodynamic testing of a real structure. In addition, it also offers good accuracy when compared to a general second-order accurate method for both linear elastic and nonlinear systems.

Nonlinear evaluations of unconditionally stable explicit algorithms

Two explicit integration algorithms with unconditional stability for linear elastic systems have been successfully developed for pseudodynamic testing. Their numerical properties in the solution of a linear elastic system have been well explored and their applications to the pseudodynamic testing of a nonlinear system have been shown to be feasible. However, their numerical properties in the solution of a nonlinear system are not apparent. Therefore, the performance of both algorithms for use in the solution of a nonlinear system has been analytically evaluated after introducing an instantaneous degree of nonlinearity. The two algorithms have roughly the same accuracy for a small value of the product of the natural frequency and step size. Meanwhile, the first algorithm is unconditionally stable when the instantaneous degree of nonlinearity is less than or equal to 1, and it becomes conditionally stable when it is greater than 1. The second algorithm is conditionally stable as the instantaneous degree of nonlinearity is less than 1/9, and becomes unstable when it is greater than 1. It can have unconditional stability for the range between 1/9 and 1. Based on these evaluations, it was concluded that the first algorithm is superior to the second one. Also, both algorithms were found to require commensurate computational efforts, which are much less than needed for the Newmark explicit method in general structural dynamic problems.

Selection of time step for pseudodynamic testing

Although the step degree of nonlinearity has been introduced to conduct basic analysis and error propagation analysis for the pseudodynamic testing of nonlinear systems, it cannot be reliably used to select an appropriate time step before performing a pseudodynamic test. Therefore, a novel parameter of instantaneous degree of nonlinearity is introduced to monitor the stiffness change at the end of a time step, and can thus be used to evaluate numerical and error propagation properties for nonlinear systems. Based on these properties, it is possible to select an appropriate time step to conduct a pseudodynamic test in advance. This possibility is very important in pseudodynamic testing, since the use of an arbitrary time step might lead to unreliable results or even destroy the test specimen. In this paper, guidelines are proposed for choosing an appropriate time step for accurate integration of nonlinear systems. These guidelines require estimation of the maximum instantaneous degree of nonlinearity and the solution of the initial natural frequency. The Newmark explicit method is chosen for this study. All the analytical results and the guidelines proposed are thoroughly confirmed with numerical examples.