Tamkang Journal of Science and Engineering, Vol. 12, No. 2, pp.

113-122 (2009)

113

Vibration Analysis of Non-Uniform Beams Resting on Elastic Foundations Using the Spline Collocation Method
Ming-Hung Hsu
Department of Electrical Engineering, National Penghu University, Penghu, Taiwan 880, R.O.C.

Abstract
The natural frequencies of non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations are numerically obtained using the spline collocation procedure. The spline collocation method is a numerical approach effective at solving partial differential equations. The boundary conditions that accompanied the spline collocation procedure were used to convert the partial differential equations of non-uniform beam vibration problems into a discrete eigenvalue problem. The beam model considers the taper ratios a, b, the boundary conditions, and the elastic foundation stiffness, kf, all of which impact the dynamic behavior of non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations. This work developed the continuum mechanics and combined with the spline collocation method to simulate the dynamic properties of non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations. Key Words: Elastic Foundation, Vibration Analysis, Non-Uniform Beam, Spline Collocation Method, Taper Ratio

1. Introduction
Non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations are important structural elements. The dynamic characteristics of such non-uniform beams are of considerable importance in many designs. Abrate et al. [1-3] solved vibrations problems in non-uniform rods and beams using the Rayleigh-Ritz scheme. Hodges et al. [4] computed the fundamental frequencies and the corresponding modal shapes using a discrete transfer matrix scheme. Lee and Kuo [5] solved the problem of bending vibrations in non-uniform beams with an elastically restrained root. Tsai et al. [6-9] studied the static behaviors of beams resting on a tensionless elastic foundation. Akbarov et al. [10-19] who conducted a static analysis of thick, circular and rectangular plates resting on a tensionless elastic foundation, generated positive solutions for a fourth-order differential equation with nonlinear boundary conditions for modeling beams on elastic foundations.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: hsu@npu.edu.tw

Their results were dependent upon foundation parameters. Sharma and DasGupta [20] examined the bending problem of axially constrained beams on nonlinear Winklertype elastic foundations using Greens functions. Beaufait and Hoadley [21] solved the problem of elastic beams on a linear foundation using the midpoint difference technique. Kuo and Lee [22] investigated the deflection of non-uniform beams resting on a nonlinear elastic foundation using the perturbation method. Chen [23] generated the numerical solutions for beams resting on elastic foundations using the differential quadrature element approach. However, the spline collocation method has not been used to solve the problem of non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations. In this study, the spline collocation method is applied to formulate discrete eigenvalue problems of different non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations. The spline collocation approach is easily implemented and should prove interesting for designers. Simulation results are compared with numerical results acquired using the finite element method.

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2. Formation
The kinetic energy of a beam with a non-uniform cross-section resting on an elastic foundation is as follows:

(7)

(8) Consider the following pinned-pinned non-uniform beam resting on an elastic foundation. The corresponding boundary conditions are u (0, t) = 0 (9) (10) u (L, t) = 0 (11) (12) Consider the following clamped-clamped non-uniform beam resting on an elastic foundation. The corresponding boundary conditions are u (0, t) = 0 (13) (14) u (L, t) = 0 (15) (16) Let the displacement response be

(1) where L is the length of the non-uniform beam, u is the transverse bending deflection, A is the cross-sectional area of the beam, A = A0f(x), and r is the density of beam material. Function f(x) is dependent on the shape of the cross-section. Parameter Ao is the area of the cross section at the end, where x = 0. The strain energy of a non-uniform beam resting on an elastic foundation can be derived as follows:

(2) where I is the second moment of area of the non-uniform beam, I = I0y(x), kf is the elastic foundation constant, and E is Youngs modulus of non-uniform beam material. The function y(x) is dependent upon the crosssection shape. Parameter Io is the second moment of area at the end, where x = 0. Hamiltons principle is given by (3) where dW is virtual work. Substituting Eqs. (1) and (2) into Eq. (3) yields the equations of motion. The transverse motion, u, of the non-uniform beam resting on an elastic foundation is governed by (4)

(17) where w is the natural frequency of a non-uniform beam resting on an elastic foundation. Substituting Eq. (17) into Eq. (4) yields

Consider the clamped-free beam to be clamped at the end, where x = 0. The corresponding boundary conditions are as follows: u (0, t) = 0 (5)

(18) (6)

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Equation (18) can be rewritten as

(19)

The corresponding boundary conditions of the clampedfree non-uniform beam resting on an elastic foundation are (20) (21)

(22)

(23) The corresponding boundary conditions of the pinnedpinned non-uniform beam resting on an elastic foundation are (24) (25) (26) (27) The corresponding boundary conditions of the clampedclamped non-uniform beam resting on an elastic foundation are (28) (29) (30) (31)

beams resting on elastic foundations have been efficiently solved using fast computers with a range of numerical methods, including the Galerkin method, finite element technique, differential quadrature approach, differential transform scheme, boundary element method, and Rayleigh-Ritz method [24-27]. In this study, the spline collocation method is employed to formulate discrete eigenvalue problems for various non-unifrom beams. Prenter et al. [28-30] investigated spline and variation methods. Bert and Sheu [31] presented a static analysis of beams and plates using the spline collocation method. ElHawary et al. [32] examined quartic spline collocation methods for solving linear elliptical partial differential equations. Archer [33] investigated odd-degree splines using high-order collocation residual expansions and adopted nodal collocation methods to solve the problem with one-dimensional boundary values. Patlashenko and Weller [34] applied the spline collocation approach to solve two-dimensional problems, and determined the post bucking behavior of laminated panels subjected to mechanical and heat-induced loadings. In this work, the knots, xk,i, are considered as follows: (32) where xk,0, xk,1, xk,2, , xk,N-1, xk,N are the abscissas of the knots and xk,-2, xk,-1, xk,N+1, xk,N+2 are the abscissas of the extended fictitious knots.

(33) where the distance, hk, between two adjacent knots remains constant. The spline function is given as follows [28-30]:

3. The Spline Collocation Model

The numerous complex problems of non-uniform

(34) where k is the element number, and Bk,-2 (xk), Bk,-1 (xk),

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Bk,0 (xk), , Bk,N+1 (xk), Bk,N+2(xk) are the basis for the function defined over the region of a k x k bk . The deflection of the kth beam element at the knots is given by the following equation: (35) where M is the total number of elements, ak,i is a coefficient to be determined and Bk,i (xk) is the spline function. The domain contains N + 5 collocation points. The equations of motion of a non-uniform beam can be rearranged into the spline collocation method formula, yielding,

(38)

(39)

(40) The spline collocation method can be applied to rearrange the boundary conditions of a clamped-free nonuniform beam resting on an elastic foundation into matrix form as follows:

(41)

(36)

(42)

(37)

(43)

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(51)

(52)

(44) The spline collocation scheme can be utilized to rearrange the boundary conditions of a pinned-pinned nonuniform beam resting on an elastic foundation into the following matrix form:

The MATLAB program is used to obtain the solution of the eigenvalue problem. The following figures summarize the numerical results obtained.

4. Numerical Results
To determine the validity of the present technique, several examples of the vibrations of non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations are considered. Figures 13 show the non-dimensional natural frequencies of the non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations with an area of A = Ao (1 + ax / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + ax / L) and taper ratio of a = -0.5. The non-dimensional natural frequency is defined as w = w rA0 L4 / ( EI 0 ). The non-dimensional elastic foundation stiffness is defined as k f = k f L4 / ( EI 0 ). To verify the correctness of the spline collocation method, nonuniform beams resting on elastic foundations are used to obtain results that can be compared with those acquired using the finite element method. The simulation results computed using the spline collocation method is compared with the numerical results obtained using the finite element method. Obviously, the foundation stiffness increases the frequencies of vibrations of the non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations. Unlike the finite element method, the spline collocation method does not require a calculation of integrals to generate a solution. Figures 4-6 show the non-uniform beam with an area of A = Ao (1 + bx / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + bx / L)3 and taper ratio of b = -0.5. The frequencies of vibrations of the non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations are computed using the finite element and the spline collocation methods. The curve obtained using the spline collocation method closely follows the curve obtained using the finite element method. The frequencies of vibrations of non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations increase as the foundation stiffness increases. Figures 7-9 plot the non-dimensional natural

(45)

(46)

(47)

(48) The spline collocation scheme can be used to rearrange the boundary conditions of a clamped-clamped nonuniform beam resting on an elastic foundation into the following matrix form:

(49)

(50)

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Figure 1. The non-dimensional natural frequencies of clamped-free non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations with an area of A = Ao (1 + ax / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + ax / L) and taper ratio of a = -0.5.

Figure 2. The non-dimensional natural frequencies of pinned-pinned non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations with an area of A = Ao (1 + ax / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + ax / L) and taper ratio of a = -0.5.

Figure 3. The non-dimensional natural frequencies of clamped-clamped non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations with an area of A = Ao (1 + ax / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + ax / L) and taper ratio of a = -0.5.

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Figure 4. The non-dimensional natural frequencies of clamped-free non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations with an area of A = Ao (1 + bx / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + bx / L)3 and taper ratio of b = -0.5.

Figure 5. The non-dimensional natural frequencies of pinned-pinned non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations with an area of A = Ao (1 + bx / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + bx / L)3 and taper ratio of b = -0.5.

Figure 6. The non-dimensional natural frequencies of clamped-clamped non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations with an area A = Ao (1 + bx / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + bx / L)3 and taper ratio b = -0.5.

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Figure 7. The non-dimensional natural frequencies of clamped-free non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations with an area A = Ao (1 + ax / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + ax / L) and k f = 10.

Figure 9. The non-dimensional natural frequencies of clamped-clamped non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations with an area A = Ao (1 + ax / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + ax / L) and k f = 10.

Figure 8. The non-dimensional natural frequencies of pinnedpinned non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations with an area A = Ao (1 + ax / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + ax / L) and k f = 10.

Figure 10. The non-dimensional natural frequencies of clamped-free non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations with an area A = Ao (1 + bx / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + bx / L)3 and k f = 10.

frequencies of the non-uniform beams with an area of A = Ao (1 + ax / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + ax / L) and k f = 10. The frequencies of the non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations are affected by tapering. The frequencies of the non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations generally decrease rapidly as the taper ratio, a, increases. Figures 10-12 list the non-dimensional natural frequencies of the non-uniform beams with an area of A = Ao (1 + bx / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + bx / L)3 and k f = 10. The frequencies of the non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations decrease gradually as the taper ratio, b, increases. We conclude that the clamped-clamped boundary conditions give

rise to higher frequencies of the non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations compared with those for simply supported boundary conditions. Generally, the taper ratio b has a stronger influence on the frequencies of the non-uniform beams on elastic foundations than the taper ratio a.

5. Concluding Remarks
This work develops an efficient algorithm based on the spline collocation scheme, Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and Hamiltons principle for solving eigenvalue problems of non-uniform beams resting on elastic foun-

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non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations.

References
[1] Abrate, S., Vibrations of Non-Uniform Rods and Beams, Journal of Sound and Vibration, Vol. 185, pp. 703-716 (1995). [2] Gottlieb, H. P. W., Comments on Vibrations of NonUniform Beams and Rods, Journal of Sound and Vibration, Vol. 195, pp. 139-141 (1996). [3] Naguleswaran, S., Comments on Vibration of NonUniform Beams and Rods, Journal of Sound and Vibration, Vol. 195, pp. 331-337 (1996). [4] Hodges, D. H., Chung, Y. Y. and Shang, X. Y., Discrete Transfer Matrix Method for Non-Uniform Rotating Beams, Journal of Sound and Vibration, Vol. 169, pp. 276-283 (1994). [5] Lee, S. Y. and Kuo, Y. H., Bending Vibrations of a Rotating Non-Uniform Beam with an Elastically Restrained Root, Journal of Sound and Vibration, Vol. 154, pp. 441-451 (1992). [6] Tsai, N. C. and Westmann, R. E., Beams on Tensionless Foundation, Journal of Engineering and Mechanical Division, Vol. 93, pp. 1-12 (1967). [7] Lin, L. and Adams, G. G., Beam on Tensionless Elastic Foundation, Journal of Engineering and Mechanical Division, Vol. 113, pp. 542-553 (1987). [8] Weitsman, Y., On Foundations that React in Compression Only, Journal of Applied Mechanic, Vol. 37, pp. 1019-1030 (1970). [9] Weitsman, Y., A Tensionless Contact between a Beam and an Elastic Half-Space, Internal Journal of Engineering Science, Vol. 10, pp. 73-81 (1972). [10] Akbarov, S. D. and Kocaturk, T., On the Bending Problems of Anisotropic Plates Resting on Elastic Foundations that React in Compression Only, International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol. 34, pp. 3673-3689 (1997). [11] Celep, Z., Circular Plate on Tensionless Winkler Foundations, Journal of Engineering Mechanics, Vol. 114, pp. 1723-1739 (1998). [12] Celep, Z., Rectangular Plates Resting on Tensionless Elastic Foundation, Journal of Engineering Mechanics, Vol. 114, pp. 2083-2092 (1998). [13] Shen, H. S. and Yu, L., Nonlinear Bending Behavior of Reissner-Mindlin Plates with Free Edges Resting on

Figure 11. The non-dimensional natural frequencies of pinnedpinned non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations with an area A = Ao (1 + bx / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + bx / L)3 and k f = 10.

Figure 12. The non-dimensional natural frequencies of clamped-clamped non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations with an area A = Ao (1 + bx / L), second moment of area of I = Io (1 + bx / L)3 and k f = 10.

dations. Numerical results for relatively more complicated vibration problems, including those with complex geometrical and mixed boundary conditions, will be presented elsewhere. Appropriate boundary conditions and the spline collocation method are applied to transform the partial differential equations of non-uniform beams resting on elastic foundations into discrete eigenvalue problems. Numerical results revel that taper ratios a and b and the elastic foundation stiffness markedly affect the frequencies of the non-uniform beams. The values of taper ratios a and b are inversely related to the frequencies of the non-uniform beams. The spline collocation scheme effectively elucidates the dynamic behavior of

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Tensionless Elastic Foundations, International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol. 41, pp. 4809-4825 (2004). [14] Li, H. and Dempsey, J. P., Unbonded Contact of a Square Plate on an Elastic Half-Space or a Winkler Foundation, Journal of Applied Mechanics, Vol. 55, pp. 430-436 (1998). [15] Mishra, R. C. and Chakrabarti, S. K., Rectangular Plates Resting on Tensionless Elastic Foundation: Some New Results, Journal of Engineering Mechanics, Vol. 122, pp. 287-385 (1996). [16] Silva, A. R. D., Silveira, R. A. M. and Goncalves, P. B., Numerical Methods for Analysis of Plates on Tensionless Elastic Foundations, International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol. 38, pp. 2083-2100 (2001). [17] Xiao, J. R., Boundary Element Analysis of Unilateral Supported Reissner Plates on Elastic Foundations, Computational Mechanics, Vol. 27, pp. 1-10 (2001). [18] Hong, T., Teng, J. G. and Luo, Y. F., Axisymmetric Shells and Plates on Tensionless Elastic Foundations, International Journal of Solids and Structures, Vol. 25, pp. 4166-4299 (1999). [19] Ma, T. F., Positive Solutions for a Beam Equation on a Nonlinear Elastic Foundation, Mathematical and Computer Modelling, Vol. 39, pp. 1195-1201 (2004). [20] Sharma, S. P. and DasGupta, S., Bending Problem of Axially Constrained Beams on Nonlinear Elastic Foundations, International Journal of Solid and Structures, Vol. 11, pp. 853-859 (1975). [21] Beaufait, F. W. and Hoadley, P. W., Analysis of Elastic Beams on Nonlinear Foundation, Computers & Structures, Vol. 12, pp. 669-676 (1980). [22] Kuo, Y. H. and Lee, S. Y., Deflection of Nonuniform Beams Resting on a Nonlinear Elastic Foundation, Computers & Structures, Vol. 51, pp. 513-519 (1994). [23] Chen, C. N., Solution of Beam on Elastic Foundation by DEQM, Journal of Engineering Mechanics, Vol. 124, pp. 1381-1384 (1998).

[24] Hsu, M. H., Mechanical Analysis of Non-Uniform Beams Resting on Nonlinear Elastic Foundation by the Differential Quadrature Method, Structural Engineering and Mechanics, Vol. 22, pp. 279-292 (2006). [25] Hsu, M. H., Vibration Analysis of Non-Uniform Beams Using the Differential Quadrature Method, Doctoral Dissertation, National Sun Yet-Sen University, Taiwan (2003). [26] Hsu, M. H., Free Vibration Analysis of Non-Uniform Beams, Journal of Penghu Institute of Technology, Vol. 8, pp. 179-200 (2004). [27] Ho, S. H. and Chen, C. K., Free Transverse Vibration of an Axially Loaded Non-Uniform Spinning Twisted Timoshenko Beam Using Differential Transform, International Journal of Mechanical Sciences, Vol. 48, pp. 1323-1331 (2006). [28] Prenter, P. M., Spline and Variational Methods, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York (1975). [29] Greville, T. N. E., Theory and Applications of Spline Functions, Academic Press, New York (1969). [30] Schumaker, L., Spline Functions: Basic Theory, WileyInterscience, New York (1980). [31] Bert, C. W. and Sheu, Y., Static Analyses of Beams and Plates by Spline Collocation Method, Journal of Engineering Mechanics, Vol. 122, pp. 375-378 (1996). [32] El-Hawary, H. M., Zanaty, E. A. and El-Sanousy, E., Quartic Spline Collocation Methods for Elliptic Partial Differential Equations, Applied Mathematics and Computation, Vol. 168, pp. 198-221 (2005). [33] Archer, D. A., Some Collocation Methods for Differential Equations, Philosophy Doctor Thesis, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA (1973). [34] Patlashenko, I. and Weller, T., Two-Dimensional Spline Collocation Method for Nonlinear Analysis of Laminated Panels, Computers & Structures, Vol. 57, pp. 131-139 (1995).

Manuscript Received: Sep. 28, 2007 Accepted: Jan. 20, 2009