Effect of Variable Prestress on Natural Frequencies of Rayleigh Beams under Travelling Distributed Loads

Abstract

This research is concerned with analysing the effect of variable prestress on natural frequencies of finite Rayleigh beams under distributed loads. Analytical solutions which often highlight the vibrating structure is obtained for the simply supported boundary condition. The solution technique is based on the Generalized Galerkin method and modification of Strubles’ asymptotic method. The focus of the study is particularly on the effect of some structural parameters such as variable prestressed function and foundation constant on the natural frequencies. From the results, it is evident that the increase in Prestress values gives rise to a corresponding increase in both natural and modified natural frequencies. Thus, it can be deduced that resonance is reached earlier for lower values of prestress as well as lower values of foundation constant. For greater values of foundation constant (within a good soil-structure interaction), the likelihood for the collapse of the Rayleigh beam structure is quite remote.