Year: 2020
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: This paper describes a Structural Dynamics course for engineering technology students with emphasis on the understanding of the theoretical concepts by using lab experiments.The experiments involve a minimum amount of equipment.The experiments are of increasing levels of theoretical complexity.The first two experiments involve single degree of freedom systems.The first one is a mass-spring system with translational motion, and the second is a rotational beam with an added mass and a spring attached to develop an understanding of the rotational inertia and resulting natural frequency.The third experiment consists of a simply supported aluminum beam which is used to compare the theoretical and experimental values of the first three natural frequencies via a frequencydomain data analysis.The fourth and fifth experiments use a simply supported reinforced concrete beam and a simply supported prestressed concrete beam made by the students in the Reinforced Concrete and Prestressed Concrete courses.The first natural frequencies of the original beams were obtained experimentally and compared with the theoretical values showing good agreement.Also, the natural frequency shows a reduction, after testing of the beams up to the ultimate (cracked) condition.These experiments show that the first natural frequency changes with the integrity of the beams.The sixth experiment consisted of finding the first two natural frequencies of a steel frame model.The properties of the frame were obtained using the geometry and results of static tests.The frame was then dynamically excited with an electromagnetic device actuated by an electronic signal generator.The theoretical values of natural frequencies were obtained using structural analysis software and they showed good agreement with the experimental results.Engineering Technology students increase their understanding of how dynamic systems perform while also learning laboratory techniques for dynamic response testing.Verifying laboratory obtained natural frequency against theoretically computed values provides students with robust knowledge of dynamic system behavior.
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--912
Institutions: University of Houston - Downtown, University of Houston
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2508366752