Free Vibration of Axially Loaded Multi-Cracked Beams Using the Transfer Matrix Method

In this paper, an analytical method is developed to study the free vibration of multi-cracked, axially loaded beams with differing boundary conditions, namely, hinged-hinged, clamped-clamped, clamped-hinged, and clamped-free. The cracked beam system is modelled as a number of beam segments connected by massless rotational springs with sectional flexibility. Each segment is assumed to obey the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory. The characteristic equation of the cracked beam with differing boundary conditions, which is a function of the natural frequency, sizes and location of the cracks, and the physical parameters of the beam, as well as the corresponding mode shapes, is derived using a simple transfer matrix method. In this paper, a detailed parametric study is conducted to show the effects of cracks and axial load on vibrational properties of the cracked beam. The results obtained in this study agree well with analytical results available in the literature.