Structural Dynamics and Vibration in Practice


Preface

This book is primarily intended as an introductory text for newly qualified graduates,

and experienced engineers from other disciplines, entering the field of structural

dynamics and vibration, in industry. It should also be found useful by test engineers

and technicians working in this area, and by those studying the subject in universities,

although it is not designed to meet the requirements of any particular course of study.

No previous knowledge of structural dynamics is assumed, but the reader should be

familiar with the elements of mechanical or structural engineering, and a basic knowledge

of mathematics is also required. This should include calculus, complex numbers

and matrices. Topics such as the solution of linear second-order differential equations,

and eigenvalues and eigenvectors, are explained in the text.

Each concept is explained in the simplest possible way, and the aim has been to give

the reader a basic understanding of each topic, so that more specialized texts can be

tackled with confidence.





The book is largely based on the author’s experience in the aerospace industry, and

this will inevitably show. However, most of the material presented is of completely

general application, and it is hoped that the book will be found useful as an introduction

to structural dynamics and vibration in all branches of engineering.

Although the principles behind current computer software are explained, actual

programs are not provided, or discussed in any detail, since this area is more than

adequately covered elsewhere. It is assumed that the reader has access to a software

package such as MATLAB


A feature of the book is the relatively high proportion of space devoted to worked

examples. These have been chosen to represent tasks that might be encountered in

industry. It will be noticed that both SI and traditional ‘British’ units have been used

in the examples. This is quite deliberate, and is intended to highlight the fact that in

industry, at least, the changeover to the SI system is far from complete, and it is not

unknown for young graduates, having used only the SI system, to have to learn the

obsolete British system when starting out in industry. The author’s view is that, far

from ignoring systems other than the SI, which is sometimes advocated, engineers

must understand, and be comfortable with, all systems of units. It is hoped that the

discussion of the subject presented in Chapter 1 will be useful in this respect.


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