Leung, Andrew Yee TakAndrew Yee TakLeung2022-05-232022-05-231988https://repository.sfu.edu.hk/handle/sfu/3279The beam functions satisfying d<sup>4</sup>φ/dξ<sup>4</sup> = β<sup>4</sup>φ with the associated boundary conditions are convenient admissible comparison functions for the approximated solutions of complex structural problems by the well known Rayleigh-Ritz method. Reliable integration formulae for products of various beam functions φ and ψ with an arbitrary function θ are essential. Felgar's recurrence formula for ∫ θφψdξ is found to be in error and is corrected here. The condition when the characteristic values of θ and ψ are identical is also considered. A simple subroutine is given to evaluate ∫ θ(ξ)(d<sup>n</sup>φ/dξ<sup>n</sup>)(d<sup>m</sup>ψ/dξ<sup>m</sup>dξ for all possible sets of boundary conditions. Applications to the free vibration of nonuniform beams and plate systems are demonstrated.enIntegration of beam functionsjournal article10.1016/0045-7949(88)90332-X