Analytical modeling of damping

Abstract

Damping is a desirable property of a structure from the earthquake resistant point of view. Thus, in dynamic analysis of structures, the modeling of damping plays a crucial role in achieving the safe response of structure. Any deviation in the representation of damping from the actual damping in the analytical model may result anything between small failure and catastrophic collapse, thus highlighting the importance of damping in a dynamic analysis of structures. Unlike mass and stiffness matrices, damping cannot be determined analytically thus bringing dynamic analysis in a state of uncertainty. Various representations of damping have evolved over the period of years which are tailor-made to specific problems. It has been generally accepted that there is no single universally accepted method for the representation of damping in an analytical manner. In this paper, an attempt has been made in reviewing the various damping models that are currently in practice.