This book on structural dynamics is intended as a textbook for civil engineering students. It covers many topics related to the theory of structural dynamics and its applications in seismic analysis, response, design, and evaluation of structures. No prior knowledge of structural dynamics is necessary for this book to be suitable even for readers who are encountering this subject for the first time.

The presentation of the material is sufficiently detailed and carefully organized with references, making the book suitable for personal study as well. This feature, combined with a practically oriented selection of topics, should interest professional engineers, especially those involved in the analysis and design of structures in earthquake-prone regions.

In writing this book, special emphasis was placed on making the dynamics of structures easier to understand for students and professional engineers, since many consider this subject difficult. To achieve this, the presentation is structured around several features: The mathematics has been kept as simple as possible for each topic. Detailed procedures have been summarized to highlight individual steps and facilitate their execution by the reader.

These procedures are explained through over 125 solved examples, including many clear and realistic cases, with an emphasis on the physical interpretation of the results. Approximately 600 figures have been carefully designed and implemented to be pedagogically effective, many of which relate to extensive simulations of structural dynamic response using computers. Photographs of structures and their movements recorded during earthquakes are also included to relate the presentation to real-world situations.

The creation of this book was inspired by several objectives:

• To connect the studied structural models with the properties of real structures.
• To present the theory of structural response dynamics in a way that emphasizes physical intuition over purely analytical procedures.
• To make the applications of the theory understandable in solving practical problems.
• To interpret the theoretical results so that the response of structures under various dynamic excitations, particularly seismic, can be comprehended.
• To apply the theory of structural dynamics in parametric studies that highlight fundamental issues in seismic response, design, and evaluation of multi-story buildings.

This presentation approach should help the reader develop a deeper understanding of the subject and confidently apply the theory of structural dynamics to solve practical problems, especially in seismic analysis, design, and evaluation of structures, thus bridging the gap between theory and practice.