A Time Integration Method Based on Galerkin Weak Form for Nonlinear Structural Dynamics

Abstract

This paper presents a step-by-step time integration method for transient solutions of nonlinear structural dynamic problems. Taking the second-order nonlinear dynamic equations as the model problem, this self-starting one-step algorithm is constructed using the Galerkin finite element method (FEM) and Newton–Raphson iteration, in which it is recommended to adopt time elements of degree m = 1,2,3. Based on the mathematical and numerical analysis, it is found that the method can gain a convergence order of 2m for both displacement and velocity results when an ordinary Gauss integral is implemented. Meanwhile, with reduced Gauss integration, the method achieves unconditional stability. Furthermore, a feasible integration scheme with controllable numerical damping has been established by modifying the test function and introducing a special integral rule. Representative numerical examples show that the proposed method performs well in stability with controllable numerical dissipation, and its computational efficiency is superior as well.