IN-PLANE FREE VIBRATIONS OF CATENARY ARCHES WITH NSYMMETRIC AXES

The differential equations governing in-plane free vibrations of the elastic, catenary arch with rotatory inertia are derived in Cartesian coordinates. Frequencies and mode shapes are computed numerically for such arches with unsymmetric axes, for both clamped-clamped and hinged-hinged end constraints. The lowest four natural frequency parameters are reported, with and without rotatory inertia, as a function of three nondimensional system parameters; the span to cord length ratio e, the slenderness ratio s, and the rise to cord length ratio f. Experimental measures of frequencies and mode shapes for several laboratory-scale catenary models serve to validate the theoretical results.