System identification-guided basis selection for reduced-order nonlinear response analysis

Reduced-order nonlinear simulation is often times the only computationally efficient means of calculating the extended time response of large and complex structures under severe dynamic loading. This is because the structure may respond in a geometrically nonlinear manner, making the computational expense of direct numerical integration in physical degrees of freedom prohibitive. As for any type of modal reduction scheme, the quality of the reduced-order solution is dictated by the modal basis selection. The techniques for modal basis selection currently employed for nonlinear simulation are ad hoc and are strongly influenced by the analyst's subjective judgment. This work develops a reliable and rigorous procedure through which an efficient modal basis can be chosen. The method employs proper orthogonal decomposition to identify nonlinear system dynamics, and the modal assurance criterion to relate proper orthogonal modes to the normal modes that are eventually used as the basis functions. The method is successfully applied to the analysis of a planar beam and a shallow arch over a wide range of nonlinear dynamic response regimes. The error associated with the reduced-order simulation is quantified and related to the computational cost.