AN EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE TOPOLOGICAL STABILITY OF A CRACKED CANTILEVER BEAM

In the study reported here, a vibrating polymeric cantilever beam was found to exhibit two distinct non-linear behaviour patterns. It is dem onstrated that switching between these behaviour modes can be initiate d by varying modal participation in a number of different ways: by cha nging the position of the exciter or the crack; by changing the amplit ude of excitation; by changing the crack-depth ratio; or by changing t he frequency of excitation. The indicator of transition between behavi our modes was the onset of period doubling. Clearly defined regions in the parameter space were identified. (C) 1998 Academic Press Limited.