Vibration tests on beams are conducted using mechanical, electrical, and computer technologies to determine their ability to withstand normal use, extreme weather conditions, or seismic vibrations. Steel beams can vibrate in different directions, and testing involves applying a shaking motion to a specific location on the structure. The amount of vibration is recorded using instruments such as piezoelectric sensors and electronic oscilloscopes. Beam vibration levels can be predicted using design software and compared to actual test results on existing structures.
Beam vibration is the amount and direction of movement a beam exhibits away from the point of applied force or area of attack. Vibration factors include the material used for construction, the length of the beam and the force applied. Structural engineering requires the use of mechanical, electrical and computer technologies to perform vibration tests on beams. These tests provide engineers with information before and after the construction of bridges, buildings and towers regarding their ability to withstand the rigors of normal use, extreme weather conditions or seismic vibrations.
A steel beam can vibrate or move from side to side, up and down, and in a horizontal twisting motion. Structural testing generally involves the use of machinery that applies a shaking motion to a specific location on the structure. These machines shake the structure at both low and high frequencies. Using the shaker method, structures are tested, which introduces one frequency at a time or several frequencies at the same time. Instruments attached to the beam or beams record the amount of vibration that occurs.
Testing the strength and durability of single-beam construction can be done by applying a static force somewhere along a free-standing or cantilevered beam. Analysis on a free beam involves suspending the beam and applying a force at both ends or anywhere on the horizontal surface. After removing the applied force, the beam returns to its original position, however, the metal continues to vibrate. Engineers measure the amount of beam vibration with instruments known as piezoelectric sensors. The smallest vibrations can be measured using electronic oscilloscopes.
These beam vibration monitors typically show the amount of movement on a graph. Similar tests are performed on cantilever beams, which are usually attached to a solid structure at one end. In some cases, beam vibration can be reduced by applying a thin film of coating material which may include zinc oxide. Once applied, testers repeat the beam analysis process to determine motion reduction values.
Engineers predict beam vibration levels when designing structures. The design software allows architects to create and modify structures based on the expected overall stability. These values produced by these software applications can be compared predicted with the values produced by actual tests on existing beams and structures.
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