INPLANE VIBRATION OF SLIGHTLY CURVED LAMINATED COMPOSITE BEAMS

A complete set of equations for the free and forced vibration analysis of laminated composite beams of shallow curvature is presented. The beam is assumed to be vibrating in its plane. These equations are shown to be consistent by variational derivation. Natural frequencies for simply supported curved beams are obtained by exact solutions. The Ritz method with algebraic polynomials is used to obtain approximate solutions for arbitrary boundary conditions. Natural frequencies for completely free and cantilevered curved beams are presented as examples. Extension-bending coupling due to lamination is distinguished from that due to curvature. Effects of curvature, material orthotropy and lamination sequence on the natural frequencies are studied. © 1992.