• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1753-1760
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• 2005

The pseudo spectral method is applied to the free vibration analysis of double-span Timoshenko beams. The analysis is based on the Chebyshev polynomials. Each section of the double-span beam has its own basis functions, and the continuity conditions at the intermediate support as well as the boundary conditions are treated separately as the constraints of the basis functions. Natural frequencies are provided for different thickness-to-length ratios and for different span ratios, which agree with those of Euler-Bernoulli beams when the thickness-to-length ratio is small but deviate considerably as the thickness-to-length ratio grows larger.