International Journal of Engineering Associates (ISSN: 2320-0804) # 5 / Volume 4 Issue 9

Vibration Analysis of Composite Beam with Cracks

Syed Tanweer Husain1, S.K. Kushwah2, Aslam Hussain3
Syed Tanweer Husain, Civil Engineering (Structure Department), UIT RGPV Bhopal
S.K. Kushwah, Prof. & Head of Department of Civil Engineering, UIT RGPV Bhopal
Aslam Hussain, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, UIT RGPV Bhopal
syedtanweerhusain@yahoo.com
profahrgpv@gmail.com

Abstract The cracks which are developed in the structure composite beam dimensions and material property must be
causes changes in their physical properties, due to this the specified for the modeling of beam. The natural frequencies
stiffness in them also reduces because of the inherent of simply supported beam are obtained by changing the
reduction in modal natural frequencies. In this paper crack depth and the location of the crack. The analysis of
vibration analysis of beam with an open edge cracks has been
these composite beams is done with the finite element
presented. The crack at various locations and with varying
depth causes variation in natural frequencies. By applying software ANSYS and the present results are compared with
different boundary conditions, the cracked beam has been the previous studies. This study can be used further for the
analyzed. The previous result which are obtained by beam which contains multiple cracks with various crack
experiments are compared with those obtained finite element depth and locations.
analysis, the analysis was performed using ANSYS
SOFTWARE. III. METHODOLOGY AND VALIDATION
A. Crack Modelling
Keywords Free Vibration, Cracks, Natural Frequencies,
ANSYS. The crack modeling has been very important aspect
because cracks in the beam create changes in their
I. INTRODUCTION geometric properties. The analysis has been done by using
finite element method by using software ANSYS. Cracked
Composite materials are materials made from two or more
beam has been modeled and free vibration analysis has
materials with significantly different physical and chemical
been performed considering geometric and material non-
properties, that when combined, produce a material with
linearity. The dimensions of the beam are taken from the
characteristics different from the individual component.
previous study and the result which is obtained from
The requirement of a particular composite material depends
ANSYS is then compared with it. The crack is considered
on the nature of application and need. The most common
to be an open edge notch. Crack with a 0.5 mm width on
composite material which is abundantly used in civil
the top surface of the beam has been modeled. It is
engineering application is concrete. Concrete composed
assumed that crack have uniform depth across the width.
mainly of water, aggregate and cement. The cracks in a
Below is the figure of cantilever beam which is designed
composite structure are a common type of defect which
by ANSYS and further solved by it to compare the results
may reduce stiffness and strength, or may lead to structure
with ABAQUS.
collapse.
The members of engineering structures are mostly operate
under loading conditions, which results in the damage or
formation of cracks in the overstressed zones of members.
The local variation of stiffness due to the presence of
cracks mainly depends on the location and depth of the
cracks. The cracks also affect the physical properties of a
structure which in turn alter its dynamic response
characteristics. The vibration behaviors of the structures are
investigated by many researchers. The cracks during
vibration in the structural members are assumed to be open.

II. IMPORTANCE OF PRESENT STUDY

The present work deals with the vibration analysis of Fig. 1. V-shaped edge crack with a 0.5 mm width on the top
composite beam from finite element method with non- surface
propagating one edge open crack, while the mass of the
element is constant. Crack depth, location of crack,

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 International Journal of Engineering Associates (ISSN: 2320-0804) # 6 / Volume 4 Issue 9

B. Validation
The cracked cantilever concrete beam with a single crack
has been considered for the free vibration analysis. In the
present study the beam has been solved by using ANSYS The results which are obtained by using ANSYS are
but in previous study it is already solved by ABAQUS approximately same as the results which are obtained by
program. Then the comparison of result has been made. ABAQUS in the previous study.

IV. PARAMETRIC STUDIES

The effect of crack on natural frequency of a simply
supported steel beam was investigated for various crack
depths and crack locations. The comparison has been made
between the results obtained using ANSYS and ABAQUS
results taken from Dr. M. A. Chakrabarti.
Properties:
Fig. 2. Cantilever beam with crack. Width of the beam = 0.01
Depth of the beam = 0.01
Properties: Length of the beam = 0.4
Width of the beam = 0.23 mm Elastic modulus of the beam = 2.16x10 11 N/m3
Depth of the beam = 0.5 mm Poissons ratio = 0.Density = 7650 Kg/m3
Length of the beam = 3 m Natural frequencies of a simply supported cracked beam
Elastic modulus of the beam = 30 Gpa for the first and second modes of vibration have been
studied. For simplicity, the following dimensionless
Poissons ratio = 0.3 quantities are introduced:
Crack location ratio c = xc/L
Density = 25 KN/m3
Crack depth ratio H= a/h
a = 5 mm The figure of simply supported beam which is modeled by
l1 = 1m ANSYS is given below:

TABLE I
Comparison of Results using ABAQUS and
ANSYS

MODE Natural Frequencies obtained by

NO.

ABAQUS ANSYS

CYCLES/TIME CYCLES/TIME

1 4.51309 4.5388

2 9.65376 9.6783

3 27.6089 27.726

4 43.2749 41.051

5 54.6432 54.364

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 International Journal of Engineering Associates (ISSN: 2320-0804) # 7 / Volume 4 Issue 9

1.01
1 0.2
) 0.99 ABAQUS
?/ 0.2 ANSYS
c 0.98
?( 0.97
o
it 0.96 0.3
ar 0.95 ABAQUS
yc 0.94
n
e 0.93
u 0.92
q
er 0.91
F 0.1 0.3 0.5
crack depth ratio (a/h)
Fig. 3. Simply supported beam with crack

TABLE III
NATURAL FREQUENCY OF SIMPLY SUPPORTED BEAM WITH
CRACK FOR THE FIRST MODE

TABLE IIII
NATURAL FREQUENCY OF SIMPLY SUPPORTED BEAM WITH
CRACK FOR THE SECOND MODE

Natural Frequency ratio

Natural Frequency
(c/) ratio

Crack Crack (c/)

Position depth Crack Crack
Error Position depth
c = xc/L Cr ABAQUS ANSYS Error
=(a/H) c = xc/L Cr =(a/H)
ABAQUS ANSYS

Un-cracked beam 1 1 0 Un-cracked beam 1 1

0.1 0.997 0.999 0.002 0.1 1.000 0.999 0.001

0.2 0.3 0.987 0.994 0.007 0.2 0.3 0.999 0.998 0.001

0.5 0.956 0.985 0.029 0.5 0.974 0.993 0.019

0.1 1.000 0.999 0.001 0.1 0.995 1.000 0.005

0.3 0.3 0.987 0.995 0.008 0.3 0.3 0.992 0.999 0.007

0.5 0.945 0.988 0.043 0.5 0.954 0.998 0.044

0.1 0.997 0.999 0.002 0.1 0.990 0.996 0.006

0.5 0.3 0.994 0.998 0.004 0.5 0.3 0.981 0.989 0.008

0.5 0.988 0.994 0.006 0.5 0.931 0.961 0.030

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 International Journal of Engineering Associates (ISSN: 2320-0804) # 8 / Volume 4 Issue 9
1.02
1 0.1 ABAQUS
Frequency ratio (c/)
0.98 0.1 ANSYS
0.96 0.2 ABAQUS
0.3 ANSYS
0.94
0.5 ABAQUS
0.92
0.5 ANSYS
0.9
0.88
0.2 0.3 0.5
crack depth ratio (a/h)
Fig. 3. Natural frequencies of simply supported beam
according to the crack depth for first mode
V. CONCLUSION
The conclusions which are made from the present
investigation for the composite beam having transverse one
edge open crack are
1) From the present investigation it has been observed
that the natural frequencies of vibration of a cracked
composite beam are not only the function of crack
depth and crack location but also of the mode number.
2) It has been observed that the changes in the natural
frequencies due to the presence of cracks is depend
upon the location and the size of the cracks.
3) It can be concluded that as the location of a crack is
constant, at that stage the natural frequencies are
inversely proportional to the depth of crack.
4) The intensity of the reduction in the frequency
increases with the increase in the crack depth ratio.
This reduction in natural frequency along with the
mode shapes of vibrations can be used to detect the
crack location and its depth
.
5) The largest effects are observed at the centre of the
simply supported beam and at the fixed end of the
simply supported beam. Therefore from it has been
concluded that decrease in frequencies is more for a
crack located where the bending moment is higher.
6) The effect of cracks is more pronounced near the fixed
end than at far free end. It is concluded that the first,
second and third natural frequencies are most affected
when the cracks located at near of the fixed end, the
middle of the beam and the free end, respectively
2015 IJEA. All Rights Reserved
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