Abstract
The structural elements supporting motors or engines are frequently seen in technological applications. The operation of machine may introduce additional dynamic stresses on the beam. It is important, then, to know the natural frequencies of the coupled beam-mass system, in order to obtain a proper design of the structural elements. The literature regarding the free vibration analysis of Bernoulli-Euler and Timoshenko single-span beams carrying a number of spring-mass system and multi-span beams carrying multiple spring-mass systems are plenty, but the free vibration analysis of Reddy-Bickford multi-span beams carrying multiple spring-mass systems has not been investigated by any of the studies in open literature so far. This paper aims at determining the exact solutions for the natural frequencies and mode shapes of Reddy-Bickford beams. The model allows analyzing the influence of the shear effect and spring-mass systems on the dynamic behavior of the beams by using Reddy-Bickford Beam Theory (RBT). The effects of attached spring-mass systems on the free vibration characteristics of the 1–4 span beams are studied. The natural frequencies of Reddy-Bickford single-span and multi-span beams calculated by using the numerical assembly technique and the secant method are compared with the natural frequencies of single-span and multi-span beams calculated by using Timoshenko Beam Theory (TBT); the mode shapes are presented in graphs.