The inventive methods for earthquake structure response analysis and design are based on precise dynamic modeling and simulation. The up-to-date methods for multibody system dynamic simulation taking into account nonlinear behavior of the large flexible structures could be classified in three basic groups: floating reference frame, finite elements in relative coordinates; and absolute nodal coordinate formulation. The large structures and mechanical devices like skyscrapers, antenna, wind turbine towers, etc., are typical multibody systems consisting of rigid and flexible parts with nonlinear behavior. Shaking of their foundation due to ground motion, as well as, the nonlinear ground–structure basement interaction could be effectively analyzed using the recent achievements in the multibody system dynamics simulation methodology. The forward dynamic analysis provides the designers with preliminary information for structural behavior and the effect of the design parameters.
The available programs for dynamic simulation of flexible structures meet many difficulties including loss of precision, as well as incapability to provide long simulation process of the operational time. Development of problem oriented methods for dynamic simulation, analysis and optimization of structures subject to seismic excitation is of major importance for the practice and is a challenging area for investigation.
During the “7th European Congress on Computational Methods in Applied Sciences and Engineering”, Crete, Greece, June 5–10, 2016, a Mini-symposium “Dynamics of Structures Subject to Seismic Excitations” was organized, aiming at meeting of scientists working on the problems of dynamic simulation of large flexible systems and at providing possibility for live discussion on the aforementioned problems. The following topics were discussed: Multibody System methodology for dynamic simulation of structures; Methods of relative and absolute nodal coordinate formulation for simulation of large flexible systems; Ground–structure basement interaction; Base isolation, passive energy dissipation and active control for structural prevention of seismic excitation.
Evtim V. Zahariev, Professor at the Institute of Mechanics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and Evangelos J. Sapountzakis, Professor and Vice Rector of the National Technical University of Athens were the main organizers. The support of the Bulgarian Ministry of Education and Science, Contract DUNC 01/3, 2009 is acknowledged.
The selected papers of the special issue are the best ones presented in the sessions of the aforementioned Congress in Crete, concerning the subject of the issue.