Euler-Bernoulli beam equation:

2  2w  2w
 EI    A  k f w  f  x, t  (1)
x 2  x 2  t 2

For the free vibration of a uniform beam:

4 w 2 w
EI   A  kf w  0 (2)
x 4 t 2

The free vibration solution can be found using the method of separation of variables as:

w  x, t   W ( x)q(t ) (3)

Substituting equation (3) in equation (2):

d 4W ( x) d 2 q(t )
EI .q(t )   AW
. ( x )  k f W ( x)q(t )  0
dx 4 dt 2

c 2 d 4W ( x) k f 2 d 2 q(t ) 1
  c    2
W ( x) dx 4 EI dt 2 q (t )

d 4W ( x) k f 2
Hence,  W ( x )  W ( x)
dx 4 EI c2

d 4W ( x)
   4W ( x)  0 (4)
dx 4

d 2 q(t )
And, 2
  2 q(t )  0 (5)
dt

EI k 2
Where, c  and  4   f  2
A EI c

The solution of equation (5) is:

q(t )  A cos t  B sin t

Where, A and B are constants that can be found from the initial conditions.
The solution for equation (4) is assumed to be of exponential forma as:

W ( x)  ce sx

So, cs 4 e sx   4 ce sx  0

 
 s 4   4 W ( x)  0
As, 
W ( x)  0 so, s 4   4  0 
The roots of this equation are given by, s1,2   ; s3,4  i

Thus, the solution of equation (4) can be expressed as,

W ( x)  A1 cos  x  A2 sin  x  A3 cosh  x  A4 sinh  x (6)

Where, the constants A1, A2, A3, A4 can be evaluated from the boundary conditions of the beam.
The natural frequencies of the beam as an elastic foundation are given by,

kf
i  c i2 1  (7)
EI i4

The total vibration response of the beam can be found by:


w( x, t )  Wi ( x)  Ai cos i t  bi sin i t  (8)
i 1

d 2W  x  d 3W  x 
Boundary conditions:  0,  0 , at x  0 and x  L (9)–(12)
dx 2 dx3
Writing in a different way, equation (6) becomes,

W ( x)  c1 (cos  x  cosh  x)  c2 (cos  x  cosh  x)  c3 (sin  x  sinh  x)  c4 (sin  x  sinh  x)

By differentiating equation (6),

d 2W ( x)
  2 [c1 ( cos  x  cosh  x)  c2 ( cos  x  cosh  x)
dx 2 (13)
 c3 ( sin  x  sinh  x)  c4 ( sin  x  sinh  x)]

d 3W ( x)
3
  3[c1 (sin  x  sinh  x)  c2 (sin  x  sinh  x)
dx (14)
 c3 ( cos  x  cosh  x)  c4 ( cos  x  cosh  x)]

By equation (9) & (10),

c2  0 & c4  0

By equation (11) & (12),

c1 ( cos  L  cosh  L)  c3 ( sin  L  sinh  L)  0 (15)

c1 (sin  L  sinh  L)  c3 ( cos  L  cosh  L)  0 (16)

For non-trivial solution of the constants c1 and c3 , the determinant formed by their coefficients is
set equal to zero,

( cos  L  cosh  L) ( sin  L  sinh  L)

0
(sin  L  sinh  L) ( cos  L  cosh  L)

 cos L.cosh  L  1 (17)

The value of  0 L  0 leads to a rigid body mode in the case of a free-free beam.

Equation (15) gives,

( cos  L  cosh  L)
c3   c1
( sin  L  sinh  L)

If denotes the nth root of the transcendental equation (17), the corresponding mode shapes can be
obtained by substituting the values of the coefficients into equation (6),

W ( x)  c1 (cos  x  cosh  x)  c3 (sin  x  sinh  x)

 (cos  L  cosh  L) 
 c1 (cos  x  cosh  x)  (sin  x  sinh  x) 
 (sin  L  sinh  L) 
Taking c1  1 ,

 (cos  n L  cosh  n L) 
Wn ( x)  (cos  n x  cosh  n x)  (sin  n x  sinh  n x)  (18)
 (sin  n L  sinh  n L) 

 (cos  n L  cosh  n L) 
w( x, t )   (cos  n x  cosh  n x)  (sin  n x  sinh  n x)   An cos nt  Bn sin nt 
n 1  (sin  n L  sinh  n L) 
(19)
The forced transverse vibration of a uniform beam on elastic foundation is governed by the
equation,

 2 w( x, t ) k f EI  4 w( x, t ) f ( x, t )
 w( x , t )   (20)
t 2 A  A x 4 A

When the normal mode method is used, the solution of the above equation can be expressed as,

w( x, t )   Wn ( x)qn (t ) (21)
n 1

Where Wn ( x) is the nth normal mode and qn (t ) is the corresponding generalized coordinate of the
beam. Noting that the normal mode Wn ( x) satisfies the relation of equation (4),
 d 4Wn ( x)   An2 k f 
   Wn ( x) (22)
dx 4  EI EI 

Equation (20) can be reduced to,

 d 2 qn (t ) k f EI d 4Wn ( x)  f ( x, t )
  Wn ( x)  W ( x ) q (t )  q (t ) 
A n A n dx 4  A
n
 dt 2

After substituting (22),

d 2 qn (t ) f ( x, t )
Wn ( x)   n2 qn (t )Wn ( x) 
dt 2
A

d 2 qn (t )
  AWn ( x) 2
  A n2 qn (t )Wn ( x)  f ( x, t )
dt

Multiplying both sides by Wm ( x) and integrating from 0 to l results in,

d 2 qn (t ) l l l
 2   AW
. n ( x).Wm ( x)dx   qn (t )   A.n2 .Wn ( x).Wm ( x)dx   f ( x, t )Wm ( x)dx (23)
dt 0 0 0
In view of orthogonality condition, all terms in each of the summations on the left side of
equation (23) vanish except for the one term for which m  n , leaving,

d 2 qn (t )
2
 n2 qn (t )  Qn (t) (24)
dt

Where Q n (t) is the generalized force corresponding to the nth mode given by,

l
Qn (t)   f ( x, t )Wm ( x)dx (25)
0