Finite element free vibration analysis of stiffened plates

Abstract

SummaryFree vibration characteristics of stiffened plates possessing symmetrical stiffeners have been investigated by the finite element method. The main elegance of the element used lies in that the formulation takes into account the arbitrary orientation of a stiffener inside the plate element. The element being isoparametric in nature caters effectively for the irregular edges of the boundary as well as the transverse shear deformation of the plate and the stiffeners. Rectangular and skew stiffened plates having various boundary conditions and with stiffeners varying in number and in spacing, have been analysed. The correlation of the natural frequencies obtained by the present approach with the published results have been found to be very good.