Development of a finite dynamic element for free vibration analysis of two‐dimensional structures

The paper develops an efficient free‐vibration analysis procedure of two‐dimensional structures. This is achieved by employing a discretization technique based on a recently developed concept of finite dynamic elements, involving higher order dynamic correction terms in the associated stiffness and inertia matrices. A plane rectangular dynamic element is developed in detail. Numerical solution results of free‐vibration analysis presented herein clearly indicate that these dynamic element combined with a suitable quadratic matrix eigenproblem solution technique effect a most economical and efficient solution for such an analysis when compared with the usual finite element method.