Vibration of cracked beams

A surface crack on a beam section introduces a local flexibility to the structural member. This alters the vibration response of the system, shifting its frequency and increasing its mobility. Strain energy concentration arguments lead to the development of a compliance matrix for the behavior of the beam in the vicinity of the crack. This matrix is used to develop the transfer matrix for the cracked beam element. The transfer matrix developed, was used to evaluate the dynamic characteristics of simple cracked beams experiencing free vibrations. Reasonant frequencies and vibration modes are considerably affected by the existence of moderate cracks. Results for simple beams are presented for different boundary conditions.