| Abstract: | This paper examines the convolution integral method for the time domain analysis of viscoelastic models with complex parameters. Such models have been extensively used in soil dynamics and base isolation studies, because they can predict realistically the non-viscous behavior of practical materials such as soil, acrylic polymers, and silicone gels among others. Starting from the constant hysteretic model which was initially proposed to model the behavior of dry sands, it is shown that the basic response functions of complex-parameter viscoelastic models are complex valued functions. The classical relations between the basic response function and the dynamic modulus are extended for the case of these generalized viscoelastic models. Finally, the time domain response of practical constitutive models with complex parameters is investigated, and the limitations and advantages of the convolution integral method are discussed. |
