Closed-form solutions for the symmetric nonlinear free oscillations of pyramidal trusses.

Abstract

This work presents the development of analytical solutions regarding the symmetric free vibrations of pyramidal trusses, considering a general large strain measure. In this case, the undeformed and deformed configurations of the continuum are significantly different, requiring a clear distinction between them. Illustrative examples considering the quadratic (Green–Lagrange) and logarithmic (Hencky) strain measures are used to exemplify the influence of the strain measure on the results. Pyramidal trusses are well-known bistable structures and in the unloaded configurations may present different analytical solutions depending on the initial conditions: small amplitude vibrations around each stable equilibrium configuration or large cross-well vibrations. These families of solution are separated by two homoclinic orbits, constituting the boundaries of the two potential wells, which are related to the saddle point initial conditions. In addition, closed-form time solutions for the undamped vibrations are derived and the nonlinear frequency–amplitude relations, which are a measure of the degree and type of nonlinearity (hardening or softening), are obtained. Finally, a semi-analytical procedure for the damped vibrations is also constructed.