Comparative efficiencies of three parallel algorithms for nonlinear implicit transient dynamic analysis

The work reported in this paper is motivated by the need to develop portable parallel processing algorithms and codes which can run on a variety of hardware platforms without any modifications. The prime aim of the research work reported here is to test the portability of the parallel algorithms and also to study and understand the comparative efficiencies of three parallel algorithms developed for implicit time integration technique. The standard message passing interface (MPI) is used to develop parallel algorithms for computing nonlinear dynamic response of large structures employing implicit time-marching scheme. The parallel algorithms presented in this paper are developed under the broad framework of non-overlapped domain decomposition technique. Numerical studies indicate that the parallel algorithm devised employing the conventional form of Newmark time integration algorithm is faster than the predictor–corrector form. It is also accurate and highly adaptive to fine grain computations. The group implicit algorithm is found to be extremely superior in performance when compared to the other two parallel algorithms. This algorithm is better suited for large size problems on coarse grain environment as the resulting submeshes will obviously be large and thus permit larger time steps without losing accuracy.