Effect of Friction on the Structural Dynamics of Built-Up Structures: An Experimental Study

Frictional contacts are a major source of uncertainty in the correct prediction of the dynamic response of built-up structures. This uncertainty is partially due to a limited understanding of the effects of friction on dynamic responses. Vice versa, dynamic responses can also affect the frictional behaviour of the interfaces in contact. In the present study, the mutual relationships between frictional behaviour and structural dynamics are investigated by means of a high frequency friction rig. The rig is characterised by a simple and localised frictional contact that is needed to accurately measure hysteresis loops. Of course, the rig also has its own dynamic response, and consequently represents an excellent test case to gain a better understanding of the correlation between hysteresis loop shapes and their effect upon the dynamics. Impact hammer tests and shaker tests were performed on the friction rig, and lead to changes in the damping and stiffness of its dynamic response, which were linked to variations in the frictional behaviour of the contact. Furthermore, there was some indication as to how certain resonances of the system might strongly affect the frictional behaviour. In particular, it was observed that full sliding causes excitation of structural modes that in turn lead to distortions in the measured hysteresis loops. These findings confirm the strong relationship between friction and dynamics, thus highlighting the necessity to include a detailed frictional description of contacting interfaces for more accurate modelling of the dynamics of built-up structures.