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Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Free vibrations of inflatable dams

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

This work deals with the linear two-dimensional free vibrations of an inflated cylindrical membrane. An air-inflated membrane is considered first. Vibration frequencies and modes are determined for various cases. The lowest mode shape is anti-symmetric. In the rest of the work, the membrane is inflated with water. In some cases there is a reservoir of water on one side of the membrane. The membrane equation of motion is solved using a finite difference method, and the hydrodynamic pressures on the membrane, caused by the motion of the internal and external water domains, are treated by the boundary element method. The effects of the membrane parameters, internal and external water head, and density of the membrane on the lowest four frequencies are illustrated. For the membrane without the outside water, the first two natural frequencies agree well with experimental values. The existence of the upstream head has a significant influence on the frequencies, and the mode shapes are shown to be tilted toward the downstream side of the membrane.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph. D.
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Civil Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Civil Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Year dc:date.issued
1988

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Hsieh, Jen-Chi
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Plaut, Raymond H.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Mook, Dean T.
  • Barker, Richard M.
  • Rojiani, Kamal B.
  • Johnson, Eric R.

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en_US

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Handle dc:identifier.uri
http://hdl.handle.net/10919/53533
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/53533

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
related terms
citation

Hsieh, Jen-Chi. Free vibrations of inflatable dams. doctoral thesis, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/53533