Improved numerical dissipation for explicit methods in pseudodynamic tests

There is no second-order accurate, dissipative, explicit method in the currently available step-by-step integration algorithms. Two new families of second-order accurate, dissipative, explicit methods have been successfully developed for the direct integration of equations of motion in structural dynamics. These two families of methods are numerically equivalent and possess the desired numerical dissipation which can be continuously controlled. These two families of algorithms are very useful for pseudodynamic tests since the favourable numerical damping can be used to suppress the spurious growth of high-frequency modes due to the presence of numerical and/or experimental errors in performing a pseudodynamic test.