Volume 18, Issue 2, 2009

LETTER: FREE VIBRATION AND BUCKLING ANALYSIS OF THE LAMINATED COMPOSITE BEAMS BY USING GDQM

Gökmen Atlihan, Ersin Demir*, Zekeriya Girgin and Hasan Çallioglu

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Pamukkale University, Kinikli Campus, 20070 Denizli, Turkey

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed, e-mail: edemir@pau.edu.tr

Received 9 June 2008: accepted 15 May 2009

ABSTRACT
In this study, effects of stacking sequences of composite laminated beams on natural frequencies and buckling behaviour have been analyzed by Generalized Differential Quadrature Method (GDQM) and Finite Element Method (FEM). Mode shapes were also investigated for one mode of buckling and three modes of free vibration analyses. In addition, variations of mode shapes for different boundary conditions were presented in details. Numerical results show that the effective stiffness of the laminated composite beam can be altered through an adjustment in the stacking sequence. Thus, such an adjustment in stacking sequences allows operations in desired natural frequencies and load carrying capacity without changing its geometry drastically or without changing its weight.

Keywords: GDQM, Laminated composite beam, Natural frequency, Buckling analysis