ABSTRACT
Since damping in lightweight floors is usually low, dynamic amplification can be rather high. Long rectangular plates subjected to concentrated loads are often investigated by a replacement beam with a so called "effective width". Although this approach is a reliable tool for static loads, the steady-state dynamic response of beams and long plates subjected to periodic loads are significantly different. The maximum displacements and accelerations of beams (and of not-long rectangular plates) are obtained by using a dynamic amplification factor, which in the case of resonance is equal to 1 / 2 ξ , where ξ is the damping ratio. For long plates (and for not-long orthotropic rib-stiffened plates), as discussed in the paper, the response and the amplification factor are substantially different from those of beams. Hence, design based on effective width may lead to 2-4 times higher acceleration than the real values. In an economic design, to avoid unnecessary damping enhancement, this effect must be taken into account.
