Waves in a bio-inspired gyroid cellular architectured metabeam

The materials proposed for use as shock absorbers exhibit dynamic properties closely resembling those of hard connective tissues, such as human bone tissue. Moreover, cellular and porous structures, like gyroids, are increasingly preferred for implant applications due to their tailored mechanical and dynamic properties, offering superior performance compared to solid materials. This observation inspires us to investigate and evaluate the dispersion characteristics of a lightweight architectured beam inspired from gyroid cellular structures (GCS) as its unit cell, aimed at comprehending its wave propagation behavior. A simplified model of GCS is conceptualized through the assembly of prismatic space frame elements, modeled using the spectral element method (SEM) within the framework of transfer matrix formulation of the harmonic solution. The proposed architectured beam demonstrates the presence of complete attenuation bandgap regions, attributed to the coupling of various wave modes. These complete bandgaps signify that waves of all modes within the specified frequencies are attenuated. Furthermore, the bandgaps are validated through the frequency response function obtained for a beam constructed by assembling multiple unit cells. The study also explores the influence of the structural parameters, including the slenderness ratio and diameter ratio on the attenuation bandwidth, offering insights into optimizing the beam’s dynamic performance.