DAMPING OF STRUCTURAL COMPOSITES WITH VISCOELASTIC SHEAR-DAMPING MECHANISMS

摘要

An investigation is conducted to evaluate the so-called geometrical parameter of structural composites with viscoelastic shear-damping mechanisms. Design equations and graphs are developed for the geometrical parameter of a wide range of viscoelastic shear-damped structural composite designs. Using existing theory, manual and automated procedures are developed for the prediction of the structure loss factor of structural composites comprised of two elastic elements separated by a thin viscoelastic damping layer. Laboratory experiments are performed to verify the basic theory and design procedures developed. A comparison of theoretical predictions and experimental measurements of the structure loss factor is made for two-elastic-element structural composites fabricated from various combinations of structural materials including aluminum, steel and fibre-glass.