A numerical approach to determining the transient response of nonrectangular bars subjected to transverse elastic impact

Abstract

The objectives of the studies presented in this paper are to propose an efficient numerical approach to determining the transient response of nonrectangular bars subjected to transverse elastic impact. It is shown that the response of nonrectangular bars, such as T- and I-beams, subjected to transverse impact is composed of frequencies corresponding to the cross-sectional modes of vibration of the nonrectangular bar. In this study, eigenvalue analyses of plane-strain finite-element models of T- and I-sections were performed first to solve for the cross-sectional mode shapes and the corresponding natural frequencies. Three-dimensional resonant analyses were used to verify the existence of the cross-sectional modes obtained from the eigenvalue analyses. Three-dimensional finite-element models were also used to determine the transient response of T- and I-beams subjected to transverse elastic point impact. Numerical results were verified by experimental studies on a 0.5-m-deep concrete T-beam and a 0.72-m-deep concrete I-beam. Good agreement was obtained between the numerical and experimental results. It is concluded that the proposed numerical models are valid and efficient for determining the transient response of nonrectangular bars subjected to transverse impact.