Vibration of Continuous Systems, 2nd Edition

16Vibration of Composite Structures

16.1 INTRODUCTION

A composite material is one in which two or more different materials are combined to form a single structure with an identifiable interface or boundary. The properties of the new structure are dependent upon the properties of the constituent materials as well as the properties of the interface. Whereas metals and alloys such as steel, aluminum, and bronze have isotropic characteristics (material properties are the same in all directions) at any point in the material, composites are made to have very selective directional properties to meet specific application needs. Thus, composites are typically highly engineered materials targeted at specific applications.

This chapter deals with the vibration of structural elements and structures made up of fiber‐reinforced composite material that consists of fibers of high strength embedded in or bonded to a matrix with distinct interfaces or boundaries between them.

16.2 CHARACTERIZATION OF A UNIDIRECTIONAL LAMINA WITH LOADING PARALLEL TO THE FIBERS

A unidirectional fiber‐reinforced lamina is treated as an orthotropic material whose material symmetry planes are parallel and transverse to the direction of fibers. The material coordinate axis is chosen to be parallel to the fibers, the axis transverse to the fiber direction in the plane of the lamina, and the axis perpendicular ...