ANALYSIS OF NONLINEAR SLIDING STRUCTURES BY MODIFIED STOCHASTIC LINEARIZATION METHODS

Probabilistic characteristics of a sliding structure is investigated b y using new versions of stochastic linearization technique. The struct ure is composed of base part and upper part, which are connected to ea ch other in a spring-damping system. Coulomb friction between the base structure and earth ground is considered. Two alternative versions of stochastic linearization approach, suggested by X. Zhang and I. Elish akoff, respectively, are applied to such a sliding structure to evalua te its statistical properties. Compared with the results of Monte Carl o simulation, the two new approaches are performing much better than t he conventional one in their applications to the sliding structure. Mo reover, numerical results indicate that the criterion proposed by Elis hakoff turns out to be superior to all other versions in the problem u nder study. Numerical results also suggest that the entire structure m ay be replaced by the rigid body in the sliding problem as long as the difference of velocity responses are considered less important than t hose of displacement responses.