Finite Element Dynamic Analysis of Laminated Viscoelastic Structures

This work is concerned with the dynamic behavior of laminated beam, plate and shell structures consisting of a viscoelastic damping layer constrained between two structural layers. Finite element models for modal, harmonic and transient analyses are developed. The dynamic interlaminar shear stresses are determined and presented under harmonic and transient loads. The effect of the damping ratio of the viscoelastic material is investigated. It is found that the viscoelastic material damping reduces the interlaminar stresses. The results also show the dependency of the viscoelastic material on frequency, hence, the effect of the viscoelastic material appears significantly under harmonic loading. In transient analysis, the importance of the viscoelastic material is observed in absorbing the impact and returning the structure to its original configuration.