Finite element analysis of free vibration of beams with composite coats

This paper presents a finite element model to investigate the analysis of free vibration of beams with composite coats. We used two sandwich beam models; the core is made from an isotropic material, the steel as heavy material, for first model, and the foam as light material, employed in the second model. The faces are made from glass/epoxy composite material for the two models. The natural frequency and mode shapes of the sandwich beam are controlled by choosing the proper fiber orientation, the laminate thickness and the boundary conditions. The effects of these parameters are examined for the two models with different boundary conditions imposed on the beam. Good agreements were achieved between the finite element method and analytical solutions.