Exact dynamic stiffness elements based on one-dimensional higher-order theories for free vibration analysis of solid and thin-walled structures

• An exact dynamic stiffness formulation using one-dimensional higher-order theories is presented.
• The Carrera Unified Formulation is used to build higher-order kinematic fields.
• An exact dynamic stiffness matrix is developed.
• The Wittrick–Williams algorithm is used.
• Free vibration analysis of solid and thin-walled structures is carried out.

In this paper, an exact dynamic stiffness formulation using one-dimensional (1D) higher-order theories is presented and subsequently used to investigate the free vibration characteristics of solid and thin-walled structures. Higher-order kinematic fields are developed using the Carrera Unified Formulation, which allows for straightforward implementation of any-order theory without the need for ad hoc formulations. Classical beam theories (Euler–Bernoulli and Timoshenko) are also captured from the formulation as degenerate cases. The Principle of Virtual Displacements is used to derive the governing differential equations and the associated natural boundary conditions. An exact dynamic stiffness matrix is then developed by relating the amplitudes of harmonically varying loads to those of the responses. The explicit terms of the dynamic stiffness matrices are also presented. The resulting dynamic stiffness matrix is used with particular reference to the Wittrick–Williams algorithm to carry out the free vibration analysis of solid and thin-walled structures. The accuracy of the theory is confirmed both by published literature and by extensive finite element solutions using the commercial code MSC/NASTRAN®MSC/NASTRAN®.