| Mechanical vibration is of great concern to structural engineers, and the prediction of vibration environments is a great challenge for structural analysts. Conventional analysis methods have significant limitations when considering broad-band response, and no single analysis tool is well suited to make such predictions. This thesis describes a relatively new method that implements travelling wave theory to calculate vibration in beam networks. The basic theory of travelling waves has appeared in the technical literature. However, this thesis extends the theory to include new elements including discrete springs and dampers, lumped masses, and zero-moment end conditions.; The theory is applied to several examples using a FORTRAN computer code, where the utility and accuracy of the travelling wave approach is demonstrated. Comparisons of travelling wave results to more conventional methods, such as finite elements and statistical energy analysis, are made to illustrate the advantages, limitations, and applications of the travelling wave method. |
