Design and Analysis Methods for Equipment Emulation in the Shock Qualification of Deck Structures

Abstract : An important goal in the design of many large structures, such as ships and buildings, is the isolation of attached equipment from shock and vibration loads. Due to the high fabrication cost of such structures, extensive dynamic analysis of design concepts is carried out using finite element models and scaled mechanical models. The validity of such testing depends on the fidelity of the models employed. The finite element codes and scale modeling techniques currently in use, however, do not always achieve the requisite level of fidelity. This research project focused on the creation of analytical tools for the design of efficient, high-accuracy structural models. Two specific examples were studied in this research: (1) the modeling of distributed damping materials, and (2) the design of mechanical emulators for modally dense equipment.