What is Oscillation?
Definition of Oscillation in Construction
An oscillating structure is a consistently moving structure due to a force.
The forces causes by earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, severe wind, etc. can cause a structure to oscillate. There are instances of oscillation amplifying itself, due to physical properties such as period, frequency, amplitude, etc. All of these physical properties, if properly aligned, can cause a structure to destroy itself due to magnified oscillations within itself. There have been bridges that have self destructed, due to the timing, strength and reaction of the structure to these external forces. Oscillations are an important element of earthquake design and the dampening techniques used in high rise structures. Oscillations are similar to waves, and their affect on structural properties can be devastating. What makes an oscillating structure or occurrence especially dangerous and destructive is the consistency of the movement and the possibility of acceleration and magnitude of the amplitude as the oscillations continue.