The harmonic response of rectangular sandwich plates with multiple stiffening: A flexural wave analysis

Abstract

An exact analytical method is presented for the vibration response of a finite, three-layered, rectangular sandwich plate with a visco-elastic core, subjected to a harmonic line force which varies sinusoidally across the plate. Uniform parallel stiffeners (which may all be different) span the plate between one pair of simply supported edges. The other pair of edges may have any degree or type of uniform constraint. In the analysis the known flexural wave motion in an infinite parallel unstiffened plate subjected to a single harmonic line force or moment is utilized. A matrix equation is set up for the reactions imposed on the plate by the stiffeners and for the amplitudes of wave motion reflected from the ends of a finite plate. The sandwich core may have large or small amounts of damping. Results computed from the theory are presented and are shown to compare well with experimental data. The influence of the stiffener and core properties on the plate harmonic response is readily determined.