Scheme to Improve Numerical Analysis of Hysteretic Dynamic Systems

This note presents a procedure that basically consists of the following: (1) The detection, as the step-by-step integration advances, of changes in load-deformation behavior; (2) the determination of the precise times at which such changes occur; (3) the reduction of the time step to calculate the response of the system at those times; and (4) the continuation of the step-by-step integration with adjusted load-deformation properties and the regular time step selected for the analysis. Presented also are the equations for the implementation of the proposed procedure in the particular case of Newmark's constant average acceleration method.