Vibration analysis of Timoshenko microbeams made of functionally graded materials on a Winkler-Pasternak elastic foundation

Abstract

In this work, the free vibration analysis of Timoshenko microbeams made of the Functionally Graded Material (FGM) on the Winkler-Paternak elastic foundation based on the Modified Coupled Stress Theory (MCST) is investigated. Material characteristics of the beam vary throughout the thickness according to the power distribution and are estimated through Mori–Tanaka, Hashin-Shtrikman and Voigt homogenization techniques. The Timoshenko microbeam model considering the length scale parameter is applied. The free vibration differential equations of FGM microbeams are established based on the Finite Element Method (FEM) and Kosmatka’s shape functions. The influences of the size-effect, foundation, material, and geometry parameters on the vibration frequency are then analyzed. It is shown that the study can be applied to other FGMs as well as more complex beam structures.