Response of launch pad structures to random acoustic excitation

Two solutions (probabilistic and deterministic) for the random vibration problem are presented in this paper from the standpoint of their applicability to predict the response of ground structures subjected to acoustic loading during the launch of a Space Shuttle. Deficiencies of the probabilistic method, especially to predict response in the low-frequency regime, prompted the development of the deterministic analysis, which offers a valid alternative. Challenges associated with the implementation of these response solutions in a commercially available Finite Element Method (FEM) code are briefly addressed.