Aspects of the dynamic behaviour of steel members

A FORTRAN computer program has been developed to analyse the elastic-plasti c behaviour of steel structural members subjected to dynamic loading. The p rogram uses an incremental numerical procedure in which the governing equat ions are formed by consideration of the structure's energy and integrated w ith respect to time by the Newmark method. Large deflections, shear deforma tion and strain-rate sensitivity are all taken into account. The program has been used to investigate the dynamic behaviour of mild stee l beams and bars with a solid rectangular cross-section. The fundamental ax ial and flexural frequencies of several linear examples were determined and the elastic and elastic-plastic responses of bars to suddenly applied axia l loads were investigated in detail. (C) 2001 Civil-Comp Ltd. and Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.