Measurements of viscoelastic properties of concrete structure using beam transfer function method

Abstract

Flexural wave propagation characteristics influence the impact noise generation of concrete structures found in apartment floors. The flexural vibration of the concrete structure is affected from its dynamic properties. The purpose of this study is to propose an experimental method of measuring the dynamic characteristics of concrete structures. Using the beam transfer function method, the flexural wave speeds, bending stiffness and their loss factors are measured from which the vibration dissipation capabilities are investigated. Various concrete beam structures were built for measurement. The parameters that have impact on the experimental results were identified. The dynamic stiffness of a concrete structure was determined by its components, and remains constant under the frequency range of interest. The structural loss factor which was similar to each other for various concrete beams was much smaller compared to those of typical polymeric materials. Since the damping in the concrete structure is small, the damping treatments should be a most effective method to reduce vibration and noise generation.