Vibration behavior of bi-dimensional functionally graded beams

Based on Euler-Bernoulli beam theory and continuous element method, the free vibration of bi-dimensional functionally graded beams is investigated. It is assumed that the material properties vary exponentially along the beam thickness and length. The characteristic frequency equations of beams with different boundary conditions are obtained by transfer matrix method. The validity of the proposed method is assessed through comparison with available results. Parametric studies are carried out to analyze the influences of the gradient indexes and the beam slenderness ratio on the natural frequencies of bidimensional functionally graded beams.