Dynamics of Structures—Theory and Applications to Earthquake Engineering, Third Edition

Abstract

Previous editions of Anil Chopra’s Dynamics of Structures set the standard as textbook of choice for teaching structural dynamics with an eye to earthquake engineering. This third edition has come out nearly eleven years after the first hit the bookshelves, and what a fruitful decade this has been for earthquake engineering (see review of the second edition in Earthquake Spectra 17, 549). Performance-based earthquake engineering, which was in its infancy when the first edition of this book was published, is now entering its second generation. Application of nonlinear dynamics, which was limited to small academic circles and graduate studies, is now center stage for evaluation and design of major structures. Today, hardly any serious evaluation or retrofit of a substantial building is complete without at least considering either static or dynamic nonlinear analyses. The revisions included in the third edition of Dynamics of Structures reflect the changing characteristics of structural dynamics as applied in practice; as such, this book can be useful in teaching future engineers what they need to know to hit the ground running when they graduate. As previous editions did, the book can also serve as a comprehensive reference on the subject for practicing engineers who need to understand old as well as cutting-edge topics of structural dynamics. The major revisions to the book are reflected in Part III, the section that covers earthquake response and design of multistory buildings. In particular, Chapter 19, which deals with earthquake analysis and response of inelastic buildings, has been completely rewritten. In the second edition, this chapter contained only 23 pages; in this edition it has been expanded to 60 pages. Furthermore, the chapter has been divided into two separate parts. The first part covers what has been traditionally referred to as nonlinear time-history analysis, which is recently and more accurately referred to as nonlinear response-history analysis. The second part deals with approximate methods of nonlinear analysis consisting of various pushover analysis techniques, including modal pushover analysis, for which the author has been one of the leading pioneers. Based on structural dynamics theory, the modal pushover analysis procedure is developed and its accuracy evaluated. Chapter 21, which deals with various building code interpretations of structural dynamics principles, has also been significantly revised and enhanced, and now includes explanation and discussion of the relevant provisions of the 2006 International Building Code, 2005 National Building Code of Canada, 2004 Mexico Federal District Code, and 2004 Eurocode 8. New in the third edition, Chapter 22 discusses methods for estimating seismic demands promulgated in performance-based guidelines for evaluat-