Wave propagation modelling in 1D structures using spectral finite elements

The application of spectral finite elements (SFE) to one-dimensional (1D) elastic wave propagation problems is presented. Travelling waves in an isotropic rod and Timoshenko beam have been investigated. The rod has been modelled using 1D SFEs while the beam has been modelled using 1D and 2D SFEs. Numerical results have been compared to those obtained from the classical finite element approach. This comparison highlighted the efficiency of the SFE method. The numerical results have been also verified experimentally. A high degree of accuracy has been observed.