Abstract
This paper presents a novel approach to the study of shock in elastic structures. An energy storage property for linear elastic non-dissipative structures is demonstrated, then extrapolated also to damped systems. This property relates locations of energy accumulation along the structure to the form of its stiffness and mass matrices. This result can be profitable used at a design stage of complex structures undergoing shock excitations. On the theoretical ground, the obtained results disclose indeed general properties of energy distribution in dynamical systems with implications on energy localization as well as on energy equipartitioning. Finally, these findings open a new point of view on energy transmission in structures, with potential application in the context of Statistical Energy Analysis.