49134 Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Subject level:
Postgraduate
Result type: Grade and marksRequisite(s): 120 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10061 Bachelor of Engineering Diploma Engineering Practice OR 120 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10066 Bachelor of Engineering Science OR 120 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C10067 Bachelor of Engineering OR 120 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C09067 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Diploma Professional Engineering Practice OR 120 credit points of completed study in spk(s): C09066 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.
Description
This subject introduces students to the concepts and techniques of structural dynamics and their applications in the design and analysis of civil structures affected by dynamical loading such as earthquakes, strong winds and operational dynamic loads. In completion of the subject, students are expected to develop: (i) an understanding of the nature of dynamic (time varying) loads, with particular emphasis on earthquake loads and influence of such loads on the behaviours of the structures, (ii) the ability to assess the response of civil engineering structures to such loads, taking into account load-structure interaction, (iii) structural design approaches satisfying both strength and serviceability requirements of Australian Standards, and (iv) concepts and practices in mitigating the hazards due to such loads or utilising some effects of these loads to assess conditions of the structures.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Understand structural dynamics and earthquake concepts and techniques in relation to its applications in the design and analysis of civil structures. (D.1) |
|---|---|
| 2. | Apply structural design approaches incorporating structural dynamics satisfying both strength and serviceability requirements of Australian Standards. (C.1) |
| 3. | Communicate structural dynamics and earthquake design, including concepts and approaches to stakeholders. (E.1) |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs):
- Design Oriented: FEIT graduates apply problem solving, design thinking and decision-making methodologies in new contexts or to novel problems, to explore, test, analyse and synthesise complex ideas, theories or concepts. (C.1)
- Technically Proficient: FEIT graduates apply theoretical, conceptual, software and physical tools and advanced discipline knowledge to research, evaluate and predict future performance of systems characterised by complexity. (D.1)
- Collaborative and Communicative: FEIT graduates work as an effective member or leader of diverse teams, communicating effectively and operating autonomously within cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural contexts in the workplace. (E.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies
This subject contributes to the development of the following Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competencies:
- 1.3. In-depth understanding of specialist bodies of knowledge within the engineering discipline.
- 2.1. Application of established engineering methods to complex engineering problem solving.
- 2.2. Fluent application of engineering techniques, tools and resources.
- 2.4. Application of systematic approaches to the conduct and management of engineering projects.
- 3.2. Effective oral and written communication in professional and lay domains.
Teaching and learning strategies
The delivery of the subject will include:
- Lectures and tutorials sessions: the subject is designed to have face-to-face / on-campus delivery with highly interactive features, coupled with plenty of online materials on state-of-the-art technology for flipped class learning.
- Computer- and physical- laboratory sessions: these hand-on sessions, as above, will be delivered online via Zoom. As they have been designed to develop understanding on difficult concepts and foster problem solving skills, the subject will try to use online technology to maintain its feature. Through a real-time streaming of video and data, the subject will create a new laboratory experience for studnets using UTS state-of-the-art shaker table facility and ancillary equipment, to integrate the acquired knowledge and apply it to a simple structure. Laboratory sessions will also enhance student’s understanding of certain principles and demonstrate some practical aspects of the field of structural dynamics
- A group project and an individual project: These learning components have been designed to help students for mastering the subject on deepening the understanding, developing problem solving skills, assisting integration of learnt knowledge and practice, as well as encouraging students’ active self-learning. There will be bonus marks given to the projects (in relation to the reports, learning portfolio and the interview) to encourage team working, deeper learning and innovations.
Content (topics)
The contents are divided into three modules:
Module 1 fundamentals: Characteristics of a dynamic problem; single degree of freedom (SDOF) systems; dynamic equation of motion, damped and undamped systems, critically damped, underdamped and overdamped systems; free vibration tests to determine damping; response to harmonic loading; dynamic magnification factor, resonant response, forced vibration tests to determine damping; vibration isolation; response to impulsive loads; approximate analysis of impulsive load response; response to general dynamic loading, Duhamel integral;
Module 2 advanced topics: analysis of non-linear structural response; formulation of multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) systems; approximate methods for vibration analysis of MDOF systems; fundamentals of earthquake engineering; time history analysis, response spectrum analysis, equivalent static force method;
Module 3 applications and earthquake engineering: introduction to AS1170.4, Australian Earthquake Loading Code; an overview of shake table testing and dynamic measurement techniques. Applications of structural dynamics to civil engineering.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Online Quizzes
| Intent: | The aim of this assessment task is to evaluate the key concepts and theories in structural dynamics. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): D.1 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 10% |
Assessment task 2: Group Project
| Intent: | The aim of this assessment task is to provide students with an opportunity to work in a group to solve an engineering problem by applying learnt (or new) knowledge. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): C.1, D.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Group, group assessed |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | Not to exceed 30 pages in length. |
Assessment task 3: Threshold Quiz
| Intent: | The aim of this assessment task is to evaluate threshold concepts and theories for structural dynamics. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): D.1 |
| Type: | Quiz/test |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 20% |
Assessment task 4: Individual Project Report
| Intent: | This assessment task provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate their achievements from their individual projects, especially in terms of application of codes and acquired knowledge for problem solving. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1 and 2 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): C.1 and D.1 |
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Length: | Not to exceed 20 pages in length excluding appendices. |
Assessment task 5: Individual Project Presentation
| Intent: | In this assessment task students will have the opportunity to present the findings of their individual project to a stakeholder audience to reflect on the outcomes of their project. |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses the following subject learning objectives (SLOs): 1, 2 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs): C.1, D.1 and E.1 |
| Type: | Project |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 10% |
| Length: | The presentation should not exceed 7 mins. |
Minimum requirements
In order to pass the subject, a student must achieve an overall mark of 50% or more.
Recommended texts
- Clough Ray W and Penzien Joseph, 1993, 'Dynamics of Structures', 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill, USA
- Chopra, Anil K, 2001, 'Dynamics of Structures- Theory and Applications to Earthquake Engineering’, Prentice Hall, USA
References
Buchholdt H, 1997, ‘Structural Dynamics for Engineers’, Thomas Telford, UK
Bolton A, 1994, 'Structural Dynamics in practice a guide for professional engineers', McGraw-Hill
Irvine Max 1990, 'Structural Dynamics for the practising engineer', Allen and Unwin (Publishers) Ltd , London, UK
Beard CF, 1996, ‘Structural Vibration – Analysis and Damping’, Arnold Publishers, UK
Craig, Jr. Roy R, 1981, ‘Structural Dynamics - An Introduction to Computer Methods, John Wiley and Sons, New York, USA
Fertis Demeter G, 1973, 'Dynamics and Vibration of Structures', John Wiley and Sons, New York, USA