Spectrum Analysis

The procedure for a single-point response spectrum analysis consists of six main steps:

1. Build the model.

2. Obtain the modal solution.
3. Obtain the spectrum solution.
4. Expand the modes.
5. Combine the modes.
6. Review the results.

The modal solution is required because the structure's mode shapes and frequencies must be available
to calculate the spectrum solution. Also, by performing the spectrum solution ahead of mode expansion,
you can expand only the significant modes that contribute to the final solution.

1.Build the Model

Note: 1. Only linear behavior is valid in a spectrum analysis. Nonlinear elements, if any, are treated as
linear. If you include contact elements, for example, their stiffnesses are calculated based on their
initial status and are never changed.

2. Both Young's modulus (EX) (or stiffness in some form) and density (DENS) (or mass in some
form) must be defined. Material properties can be linear, isotropic or orthotropic, and constant or
temperature-dependent. Nonlinear properties, if any, are ignored.

2. Obtain the Modal Solution

The modal solution - natural frequencies and mode shapes - is needed to calculate the spectrum solution.

Finish

3. Obtain the Spectrum Solution

The mode file and the full file (jobname.MODE, jobname.FULL) from the modal analysis must be
available, and the database must contain the model data.

1. Enter SOLUTION.

GUI: Main Menu> Solution

2. Define the analysis type and analysis options. ANSYS offers the following analysis options for a
spectrum analysis. Not all modal analysis options and not all eigenvalue extraction techniques
work with all spectrum analysis options.
• Option: New Analysis Choose New Analysis.
• Option: Analysis Type: Spectrum Choose analysis type spectrum.
• Option: Spectrum Type: Single-point Response Spectrum Choose Single-point
Response Spectrum (SPRS).
• Option: Number of Modes to Use for Solution Choose enough modes to cover the
frequency range spanned by the spectrum and to characterize the structure's response.
The accuracy of the solution depends on the number of modes used: the larger the
 number, the higher the accuracy. Make sure to choose YES if you want to calculate
element stresses.
3. Specify load step options. The following options are available for single-point response spectrum
analysis:

Table 6.2 Load Step Options

Option GUI Path

Type of Response Main Menu> Solution> Load Step Opts> Spectrum> Single
Spectrum Point> Settings
Excitation Direction Main Menu> Solution> Load Step Opts> Spectrum> Single
Point> Settings
Spectral-value- vs- Main Menu> Solution> Load Step Opts> Spectrum> Single
frequency Curve Point> Freq Table or Spectr Values
Beta (Stiffness) Main Menu> Solution> Load Step Opts> Time/Frequenc>
Damping Damping
Constant Damping Ratio Main Menu> Solution> Load Step Opts> Time/Frequenc>
Damping
Modal Damping Main Menu> Solution> Load Step Opts> Time/Frequenc>
Damping

• Spectrum Options

These data include the following:

 Type of Response Spectrum The spectrum type can be displacement, velocity,

acceleration, force, or PSD. All except the force spectrum represent seismic
spectra; that is, they are assumed to be specified at the base..
 Excitation Direction
• Spectral-Value-Versus-Frequency
• Damping (Dynamics Options)

If you specify more than one form of damping, the ANSYS program calculates an
effective damping ratio at each frequency. The following forms of damping are available:

 Beta (stiffness) Damping

This option results in a frequency-dependent damping ratio.

 Constant Damping Ratio

This option specifies a constant damping ratio to be used at all frequencies.

 Modal Damping- Should be input in modal analysis itself.

4. Start solution calculations.Solve-Current LS

5. The output from the solution includes the participation factor table. The participation factor table,
which is part of the printed output, lists the participation factors, mode coefficients (based on
 lowest damping ratio), and the mass distribution for each mode. To obtain the maximum
response of each mode (modal response), multiply the mode shape by the mode coefficient.
6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for additional response spectra, if any. Note that solutions are not written to
the file.rst at this time.
7. Leave the SOLUTION processor.-Finish

6.2.4. Expand the Modes

1. Click on the expansion pass option button on the Expansion Pass dialog box to signify YES for an
expansion pass.

Main Menu> Solution> Analysis Type> New Analysis> Modal

Main Menu> Solution> Analysis Type> Expansion Pass
Main Menu> Solution> Load Step Opts> Expansion Pass> Expand Modes
2. You must expand modes regardless of whether you used the Block Lanczos, PCG Lanczos,
subspace, or reduced extraction method. Details of how to expand the modes are explained in
"Modal Analysis" under "Expand the Modes" as a separate solution pass, but you should keep in
mind the following points:
• Only significant modes can be selectively expanded. You then perform mode expansion
as a separate solution pass after performing the spectrum solution.
• Only expanded modes are used for the mode combination operation in the subsequent
mode combination pass.
• If you are interested in stresses caused by the spectrum, be sure to request stress
calculations here. By default, no stresses are calculated in the expansion pass, which
means no stresses are available for the spectrum analysis.
• If you want to expand all the modes, if you are using the GUI method and want to expand
all the modes, choose YES for mode expansion on the dialog box for the modal analysis
options in the modal solution step. But if you want to expand only the significant modes,
you must perform mode expansion as a separate solution pass after performing the
spectrum solution.

Note that modal analysis solutions are written to the results file (Jobname.RST) only if the mode
expansion is performed.

5. Combine the Modes

Combine the modes in a separate solution phase. A maximum of 1000 modes can be combined. The
procedure is as follows:

1. Enter SOLUTION.

2. Define analysis type.

• Option: New Analysis Choose New Analysis.

• Option: Analysis Type: Spectrum Choose analysis type spectrum.
3. Choose one of the mode combination methods.
 ANSYS offers five different mode combination methods for the single-point response spectrum
analysis:

• Square Root of Sum of Squares (SRSS)

• Complete Quadratic Combination (CQC)
• Double Sum (DSUM)
• Grouping (GRP)
• Naval Research Laboratory Sum (NRLSUM)

The NRLSUM method is typically used in the context of the Dynamic Design and Analysis
Method (DDAM) spectrum analysis.

The following commands are used to invoke different methods of mode combinations:

Main Menu> Solution> Analysis Type> New Analysis> Spectrum

GUI: Main Menu> Solution> Analysis Type> Analysis Opts> Single-pt resp
Main Menu> Load Step Opts> Spectrum> Spectrum-Single Point-Mode Combine

These commands allow computation of three different types of responses:

• Displacement (label = DISP)-Displacement response refers to displacements, stresses,

forces, etc.
• Velocity (label = VELO)Velocity response refers to velocities, "stress velocities," "force
velocities," etc.
• Acceleration (label = ACEL)Acceleration response refers to accelerations, "stress
accelerations," "force accelerations," etc.

The DSUM method also allows the input of time duration for earthquake or shock spectrum.

NoteYou must specify damping if you use the Complete Quadratic Combination method
of mode combination (CQC). In addition, if you use material-dependent damping ,you
must request that element results be calculated in the modal expansion.

4. Start solution. Solve- Current LS- Ok

5. The mode combination phase writes a file of Jobname.MCOM. Read in this file in Post processor
to do the mode combinations, using the results file (Jobname.RST) from the modal expansion
pass.
6. The file Jobname.MCOM contains Post processor commands that combine the maximum modal
responses by using the specified mode combination method to calculate the overall response of
the structure.
7. The mode combination method determines how the structure's modal responses are to be
combined:
8. Leave the SOLUTION processor. - Finish

9. Note
10. If you want to compute velocity or acceleration in addition to displacement,
repeat the mode combination step after postprocessing the displacement solution by
 using the VELO or ACEL label on the mode combination commands. Remember that the
existing Jobname.MCOM file is overwritten by the additional mode combination step(s).

6. Review the Results

Results from a single-point response spectrum analysis are written to the mode combination file,
Jobname.MCOM.

• Utility Menu> File> Read Input From

• Plot Results