The effect of crack depth on the dynamic characteristics of homogeneous beam

Defects in structure alter its dynamic characteristics. They reduce the service life which may lead to catastrophic failure. These defects may be characterized by changes in their dynamic parameters. Thus, detection of defects using reliable and effective method is an important consideration to guarantee the component safety and prolong the service life of the structure and hence save costs. This paper discusses the change in the dynamic properties of a beam with respect to the present of a single progressive crack depth in beam with special considerations on free-free and simply supported boundary conditions. The validity of the results is then verified with the finite element model.