Dynamic stiffness for piecewise non-uniform Timoshenko column by power series - part II: Follower force

A follower force is an applied force whose direction changes according to the deformed shape during the course of deformation. The dynamic sti ness matrix of a non-uniform Timoshenko column under follower force is formed by the power-series method. The dynamic sti ness matrix is unsymmetrical due to the non-conservative nature of the follower force. The frequency-dependent mass matrix is still symmetrical and positive de nite according to the extended Leung theorem. An arc length continuation method is introduced to nd the in uence of a concentrated follower force, distributed follower force, end mass and sti ness, slenderness, and taper ratio on the natural frequency and stability. It is found that the power-series method can handle a very wide class of dynamic sti ness problem