Response spectrum

A response spectrum is a diagram that describes the reaction (= response) of an (idealized) damped single-mass oscillator or a set of single-mass oscillators to a defined vibration excitation of their base points as a function of frequency . The answer can be a displacement, speed, or acceleration. There are thus displacement, velocity, and acceleration response spectra.

Response spectra are used when designing structures against exposure to earthquakes, e.g. B. required by means of modal analysis . From the spectrum one can read off the reaction of the structure, which is to be expected in the case of an excitation with one of its natural frequencies .

Response spectra are derived from the recordings of many earthquakes and made available in a simplified form in standards (e.g. EN 1998-1).

Web links

• Building and Structural Dynamics »Earthquake
• The new ETH earthquake simulator (see p. 8 and Fig. 4)
• Evaluation of the response spectra for the earthquake verification according to DIN 4149: 2005-04
• Assessment of the earthquake safety of structures - the response spectrum method ( Memento from November 25, 2003 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 445 kB)
• "Illustration of Newmark-Hall Approach to Developing Design Response Spectra" - Appendix B of "Engineering and Design - Response Spectra and Seismic Analysis for Concrete Hydraulic Structures (EM 1110-2-6050)", US Army Corps of Engineers