A unified view of hybrid seismic simulation algorithms

Hybrid simulation is a technique for examining the behavior of complex engineering structures. It involves creating a hybrid model of a structure that consists of two parts actively interacting during the test, (a) a physical subsystem - an experimental test piece representing a portion of a structure and (b) a computational subsystem - a computer model of the remainder of the structure. The interface conditions between the physical and computational subsystems are imposed by actuators and the resulting response of the physical subsystem is measured and fed back to the computer model. Several algorithms have been developed for hybrid simulation. In this paper, a unified viewpoint is developed for such algorithms. Many existing algorithms are derived as particular cases. Such an approach is valuable in understanding the precise working and limitations of a simulation and in meaningfully interpreting the results. It will also serve as a basis for more creatively utilizing such versatile dynamic testing facilities as provided by NEES.