Final Requirement for the Course:

Numerical Solutions to CE Problems

Answer the following problems. Compile your solutions into a single pdf file. Attached/insert relevant
graphs or figures if necessary. Your submission will comprise of the single pdf file report and the
spreadsheet (or code if using a programming language) you used for you solutions.

Numerical Differentiation (10 Points)

Find the first derivative of the following function at x=0.32 using forward, backward, and central
difference formulas.

f ( x )=sin2 ( x2 )
Numerical Integration (30 Points)
A circular shaft has a diameter d (m) that varies with the axial position x (m) according to
2
0.02(1+ x )
d= 0≤x ≤3
ex
An axial load P of 30 kN is applied to one end of the shaft, whose modulus of elasticity E is 200 GPa.
The axial elongation of the shaft is Δ x (m) and is given by:
3
P 1 π 2
Δ x = ∫ dx A= d
E 0 A 4

Estimate Δ x using the following methods:

1. Trapezoidal Rule with 10 integration points (n=10)

2. Simpson’s 1/3rd Rule with 10 integration points (n=10)
3. 5-Point Gaussian Quadrature
Ordinary Differential Equations (60 Points)
Equations of Motion:

2
d x 1 −k 1 k2
2
= x 1+ ( x 2−x 1 )
dt m1 m2
2
d x2 k2 k3
2
=
m2
( x 1−x 2 ) + ( x 3−x 2 )
m2
dt
2
d x3 k3
= (x −x )
dt
3
m3 2 3

Using 4th Order Runge-Kutta Method, integrate the system of differential equations governing the free-
vibration of the three-story shear building model shown. Simulate the dynamics of this structure from
t=0 to t=20 seconds. Plot the time vs displacement and time vs velocity of each floor. For the initial
conditions, the initial displacements @ t=0 are all zero and the initial velocity of the ground floor (
d x 1 /dt ) should be set equal to the last two digits of your id number divided by 10. (For example, ID
number = 20210028, last two digits = 28, initial velocity of ground floor = 2.8 m/s. If the last two digits of
your ID number are both zero, i.e., 00, use the value of 10 m/s)