Composite beams of various orientations with fiber reinforced plastics
find increasing application in structures nowadays, for their light w
eight, high strength and stiffness, and high damping characteristics.
Determination of the dynamic characteristics of cracked laminated comp
osite beams (CLCB) is essential not only in the design stage but also
in the performance of the structure system, since the presence of crac
ks, with various types of fiber orientation, and boundary fixations of
the beams has a dominant effect on the dynamic nature of the system.
In the present paper, the dynamic characteristics laminated composite
beams (LCB) with various fiber orientations and different boundary fix
ations have been presented and discussed in the absence and presence o
f cracks. A mathematical model is developed, and experimental analysis
is utilized to study the effects of different crack depths and locati
ons, boundary conditions, and various code numbers of laminates on the
dynamic characteristics of CLCB. The analysis shows good agreement be
tween experimental and theoretical results.