Vibration characteristics of welded beam and plate structures

The vibration characteristics of line and tack welded beam and plate structures are analyzed (i) analytically applying a continuous-discrete slender beam model, (ii) computationally by the dynamic finite element technique, and (iii) experimentally using measured frequency response functions from modal impact experiments. The study focuses on the use of translation and rotation stiffness terms to represent the effect of weld flexibility and their influence on resonance response. The stiffness parameters are indirectly approximated by comparison to measured response spectra of welded beam cases. The results are subsequently applied to welded beam-plate coupling setups and flat plate structures. For each case examined, the response predictions are shown to match experimental data reasonably well.