Drift response of bilinear hysteretic systems under two-frequency excitations

Response characteristics of bilinear hysteretic systems are investigated under two-frequency excitation. The excitation involves a predominate frequency component superimposed by a weaker high-frequency component having an integer frequency ratio. Depending on the frequency ratio, the long-term solutions show various forms of asymmetric response besides a symmetric steady-state response. In the limiting case of zero post-yielding stiffness, the displacement solution may exhibit a periodic-like response characterized by a constant drift increment occurring in each response cycle. To analyze the drift, two solution schemes, respectively, assuming uni-frequency and two-frequency response shapes are presented. Analytical results indicate that the frequency ratio and the phase difference of the two-frequency excitation highly influence not only the drift increment but also the direction of drift response. The effects associated with the addition of viscous damping are also investigated and discussed.