Development of a finite element analysis program for structural dynamics applications

Scope and method of study. The finite element method is a powerful method to find solutions for engineering problems. Structural dynamics is an important concept for understanding behavior of structures under different types of dynamic loads. The combination of these two concepts into a seamless, integrated computer program to analyze structural systems considering dynamic, time-dependent loads provides tremendous capabilities with respect to numerical analysis. The implementation of the theoretical development of both concepts into a fully-functional MATLAB computer program provided the primary objective of this study.;Findings and conclusions. The development of the MATLAB computer program to analyze a structural system using the finite element method incorporating structural dynamic response due to time-varying loads was accomplished. Several case studies were presented that illustrate the capabilities of this program with respect to determining the response of the structural system. In the current study, bilinear quadrilateral (Q4) isoparametric finite elements were used to construct the finite element mesh of the structural system. The finite element method was then integrated with a numerical time-stepping method, the Newmark-Beta method, to determine the response of the structural system due to a dynamic loading.