The effects of large vibration amplitudes on the dynamic strain response of a clamped-clamped beam with consideration of fatigue life

Abstract The effects of large vibration amplitudes on the dynamic strain response, near to the fundamental resonance, of a clamped-clamped, thin beam is examined. Complementary theoretical and experimental studies showed that the harmonic distortion of the induced total strain, due to sinusoidal excitation at mid-span, is mainly due to the axial strain component. A limited set of fatigue experiments showed the considerable decrease in fatigue life, which occurs due to non-linear vibration, compared to that of a cantilevered beam of the same material. The statistical approach to the analysis of non-linear vibration induced by random loading is examined theoretically and experimentally, good correlation being achieved between predicted and measured fatigue lives.