Course abstract

All mechanical structures have flexibility, which becomes apparent under loading, more prominently under dynamic loading. It is of fundamental importance to understand the vibration characteristics of a structure in order to appropriately design systems subjected to dynamic loading in order to avoid/enhance resonance, sound generation and transmission, and fatigue failure. This course will expose the different modeling and analysis techniques for continuous systems such as strings, bars, beams and plates. Special emphasis is given to variational and approximate methods, which are useful for handling complex systems. The course is expected to be useful for both academic research and industrial applications, and will provide a stepping stone for more specialized and advanced courses.