ABSTRACT

Whereas Chapter 5 was devoted to the dynamics of discrete systems, that is, to those structures described by one or more degrees of freedom, the present chapter will consider the dynamics of continuous elastic systems, possessing infinite degrees of freedom. By considering a modal analysis similar to that introduced for discrete systems, it will be possible to emphasize the countable infinity of the natural modes, according to which the structural elements such as beams, membranes, or plates can vibrate.