Wave Propagation in Prestressed Structures with Geometric Nonlinearities Through Carrera Unified Formulation

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This paper deals with the analysis of wave propagation characteristics in various prestressed structures with geometric nonlinearities using the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF). CUF provides a versatile platform to model a wide range of structures and nonlinearities that can take care of all wave propagation aspects. In this work, different geometric nonlinearities for which representative governing equations have been derived and numerical solutions have been obtained through a unified approach are considered. The study investigates in detail the effect of prestress and geometric nonlinearity on wave propagation behavior. The results indicate that prestress has a very influential effect on modal frequency and dispersion characteristics for wave propagation. Specifically, three CUF-modeled beams are considered herein, having a sandwich, metallic portal, and metallic box cross section, respectively. Initially, the principal cross-sectional modal shapes of the unstressed, linear, and full nonlinear (i.e., full three-dimensional Green–Lagrange strain matrix) beam with a prestress are investigated, among which torsional and flexural modes can be recognized. Afterward, the equilibrium curves of such structures for various geometrical nonlinear approximations are traced, highlighting that most types of nonlinearity induce a hardening behavior in the system, which increases with the preload, directly leading to a variation in modal frequencies. The dispersion relations of the full nonlinear structure examined as a function of the applied preload are further compared, enriching the investigation by exploiting wave finite element method capabilities. This knowledge paves the way toward the design and optimization of prestressed systems with enhanced acoustic performance, and that fosters the development of sound absorption, noise insulation, and structural isolation.