Effect of shear and rotatory inertia on the bending vibration method without weighing specimens

This study examines the effect of shear and rotatory inertia on the accuracy of the vibration method with additional mass (VAM). Bending vibration tests were performed for rectangular bars with a width of 30 mm, thicknesses ranging from 5 to 60 mm, and a length of 300 mm, small round bars with diameters in the range of 6–36 mm, and lengths of 150–300 mm, and cross beams for timber guardrails with and without a concentrated mass under a free–free condition. The estimation accuracy of the VAM and the effect of shear and rotatory inertia increased and decreased, respectively, as the length/thickness ratio of the rectangular bar and length/diameter ratio of the round bar increased. The estimation accuracy of the VAM decreased with an increase in the effect of shear and rotatory inertia, and it could be corrected. The range of the effect of shear and rotatory inertia for the sufficient estimation accuracy of the VAM was obtained.