EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF MODAL DAMPING FROM FULL SCALE TESTING

Damping properties are of significant importance in determining the dynamic response of structures, and accurate prediction of them at the design stage, especially in the case of light-weight, wind-sensitive buildings, is very desirable. Unfortunately, damping parameters can not be deduced deterministically from other structural properties and recourse is generally made to data from experiments conducted on completed structures of similar characteristics. Such data is scarce but valuable, both for direct use in design and for furthering research into the phenomenon and modelling of damping.