Acceleration waves in thermoelastic beams

The laws governing the propagation, growth and decay of acceleration waves in directed models of elastic beams are deduced for materials with zero and non-zero heat flux, that is non-conductors and conductors of heat. The equ ations depend explicitly on the geometric and inertial characteristic of th e beam section and on the mechanical properties of the material. Solutions are derived for the velocities of propagation and the evolution (amplitude variation) of each type of wave (extension, bending, shear, twist). Results are discussed and some numerical examples presented.