Local resonance and Bragg bandgaps in sandwich beams containing periodically inserted resonators

Abstract: We study the low frequency wave propagation behavior of sandwich beams containing periodically embedded internal resonators. A closed form expression for the propagation constant is obtained using a phased array approach and verified using finite element simulations. We show that local resonance and Bragg bandgaps coexist in such a system and that the width of both bandgaps is a function of resonator parameters as well as their periodicity. The interaction between the two bandgaps is studied by varying the local resonance frequency. We find that a single combined bandgap does not exist for this system and that the Bragg bandgaps transition into sub-wavelength bandgaps when the local resonance frequency is above their associated classical Bragg frequency.