Reduction methods and explicit time integration technique in structural dynamics

A computer procedure for economically time-integrating large structural dynamics problems is presented. The main process is described as a two-step discretisation, the first one being performed by the finite element method. An error measure is proposed in order to check the validity of the results. The reduced system of equations is integrated by using the central differences explicit scheme. Linear and physical nonlinear examples of applications are shown. The entire procedure seems to be particularly well-suited to be programmed in small computers, where the core and velocity characteristics impose severe restrictions on the problems to be directly solved