Patent ID: 7069158
Filing Date: 2006-06-27
Classification: G01V

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method for analyzing a structure comprising: receiving linear elastic input data of a structure; automatically determining non-linear input data based on the received linear elastic input data; analyzing the determined non-linear input data through a non-linear analysis technique; and outputting the result of analysis including at least global damage measure including one or more of a global displacement ductility and number of damaged members, regional damage measure including one or more of inter-story drifts, inter-story shears, number of damaged members in a region, and identification of damaged members; and local damage measure including one or more of maximum member ductilities, cumulative member ductilities and number of cycle reversals, wherein the step of analyzing includes at least two or more of: using a minimization technique to minimize the storage requirements of a global stiffness matrix and local stiffness matrix; using a numerical solution technique that requires only one copy of the global stiffness matrix; reformulating and reducing only a portion of a global stiffness matrix that changes due to change in member state; using a sufficiently higher order integration method to increase the step size thereby reducing the number of steps required for analysis.