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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Effects of damage on the response of Euler-Bernoulli beams traversed by a moving mass

subject

description

The perturbation induced by damage in the dynamic response of Euler-Bernoulli beams traversed by a moving mass is investigated. The structure is discretized into segments of constant bending stiffness, connected together by elastic hinges representing damaged sections. The beam-moving mass interaction force is modelled in the most accurate way by taking into account the effective structural mass distribution and the convective acceleration terms, often omitted in similar studies. The analytical response is obtained through a series expansion of the unknown deflection in a basis of the beam eigenfunctions. The results of experimental tests, performed on a small-scale model of a prototype bridge structure, are presented for a validation of the proposed solution procedure, and to provide data of practical engineering relevance. A good agreement with theoretical predictions is observed, moreover, the nature of the applied load seems to increase the structural damage sensitivity.