Dynamic stability of Timoshenko beams on Pasternak viscoelastic foundation

Abstract

The dynamic stability problem of a Timoshenko beam supported by a generalized Pasternak-type viscoelastic foundation subjected to compressive axial loading, where rotary inertia is neglected, is investigated. Each axial force consists of a constant part and a time-dependent stochastic function. By using the direct Liapunov method, bounds of the almost sure asymptotic stability of a beam as a function of viscous damping coefficient, variance of the stochastic force, shear correction factor, parameters of Pasternak foundation, and intensity of the deterministic component of axial loading are obtained. With the aim of justifying the use of the direct Liapunov method analytical results are firstly compared with numerically obtained results using Monte Carlo simulation method. Numerical calculations are further performed for the Gaussian process with a zero mean as well as a harmonic process with random phase. The main purpose of the paper is to point at significance damping parameter of foundation on dynamic stability of the structure.