Analytical approach for free vibration analysis of two-layer Timoshenko beams with interlayer slip

In this paper, an analytical procedure for free vibrations of shear-deformable two-layer beams with interlayer slip is developed. The effect of transverse shear flexibility of two layers is taken into account in a general way by assuming that each layer behaves as a Timoshenko beam element. Therefore, the layers have independent shear strains that depend indeed on their own shear modulus. This is the main improvement of the proposed model compared to existing models where the transverse shear flexibility is ignored or taken into account in a simplified way in which the shear strains of both layers are assumed to be equal whatever the shear modulus of the layers. In the proposed model, the two layers are connected continuously and the partial interaction is considered by assuming a continuous relationship between the interface shear flow and the corresponding slip. Based on these key assumptions, the governing differential equation of the problem is derived using Hamiltonʹs principle and is analytically solved. The solutions for the eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes of four single span two-layer beams with classical Euler boundary conditions, i.e. pinned-pinned, clamped-clamped, clamped-pinned and clamped-free, are presented. Next, some numerical applications dealing with these four beams are carried out in order to compare the eigenfrequencies obtained with the proposed model against two existing models which consider different kinematic assumptions. Finally, a parametric study is conducted with the aim to investigate the influence of varying material and geometric parameters on the eigenfrequencies, such as shear stiffness of the connectors, span-to-depth ratios, flexural-to-shear moduli ratios and layer shear moduli ratios.