An experimental study of bending impact waves in beams

An experimental study of the propagation of flexural waves in an elastic beam of circular cross section subjected to an approximate-step-function bending moment is given. The test beam was a low-carbon-steel bar 2 in. diam × 30-ft long and was suspended in a vertical position by a pin located near the upper end. The step moment was applied at the upper pinned end of the bar by an arrangement of two high-pressure, nitrogen-operated cylinders. The strains were measured with strain gages located at eight stations along the bar. The experimental results are compared with results obtained from a solution of the “Timoshenko” beam by W. Flügge and E. E. Zajac for a semi-infinite pinned-end beam subjected to a suddenly applied bending moment at the pinned end. The experimental results are correlated with the predictions of the theoretical solution.