Free Vibration Studies Using Galerkin's Finite Element Method

Abstract

An effort is made to formulate systematically the finite element method based on Galerkin's principle to solve beam problems. The developed code is used to study the free vibration characteristics of stepped, spring supported and twisted beams of solid sections. Thin walled sections exhibiting bending twisting coupling (channel) and beams with unsymmetric cross section (Z section) are also analysed. Results obtained with two elements are very reasonable.