Electrostatic tuning of the bending stiffness of a large scale GFRP-CFRP beam

A. Bergamini; R. Christen; M. Motavalli

doi:10.1117/12.659207

15 March 2006 Electrostatic tuning of the bending stiffness of a large scale GFRP-CFRP beam

A. Bergamini, R. Christen, M. Motavalli

Proceedings Volume 6169, Smart Structures and Materials 2006: Damping and Isolation; 616919 (2006) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.659207
Event: SPIE Smart Structures and Materials + Nondestructive Evaluation and Health Monitoring, 2006, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The suppression of vibrations of a structure is commonly considered a necessary measure for the extension of its lifetime, when high amplitude vibrations are observed. As an alternative to the introduction of discrete damping devices, the modification of the stiffness of a beam is proposed as a means to suppress vibrations due to resonance, thank to the ability to reject mechanical energy input at specific frequencies. Previous work has outlined the principle and the potential advantages of such an approach based on the behavior of a small scale system. In order to confirm the feasibility of the approach on macro-scale systems, such as a light weight pedestrian bridge, experiments for the tuning of a 2.5 m long glass fiber reinforced polymer I-beam were performed. The results of the experiments show that it is possible to modify the bending stiffness of structural elements that can be used for real life engineering applications. Measurements show that it is possible to shift the resonance peak of a beam while maintaining a reasonably good q-factor in the transfer function, thus indicating that the change in behavior happens in connection with an increased stiffness rather than with the introduction of substantial damping. Based on the presented feasibility study, the development of an adaptive bridge deck will be considered.

Citation Download Citation

A. Bergamini, R. Christen, and M. Motavalli "Electrostatic tuning of the bending stiffness of a large scale GFRP-CFRP beam", Proc. SPIE 6169, Smart Structures and Materials 2006: Damping and Isolation, 616919 (15 March 2006); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.659207

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