Non-linear free vibration of a beam with time-dependent material properties

An account is given of a study of free vibrations of a simply supported beam with a central mass and undergoing creep deformation for the two cases (i) creep deformation is completely recoverable (without hysteresis) and (ii) creep deformation is partly recoverable (with hysteresis). The material is of the Ramberg-Osgood type. Numerical techniques were used to find the response of the system. The results indicate that the beam behaves like a soft spring and that amplitude and frequency decrease with time.