5. Viscoelastic structures

Once the properties of viscoelastic material samples are known, it is a matter of integrating them into a structure, after predicting the effect of their integration using finite element models. We discuss these aspects in this section.

Two types of viscoelastic material integration can be distinguished: either a "distributed" spatial distribution of the material over large areas of the structure, or a punctual or "localized" distribution at specific points of the structure.

In so-called "distributed" applications, viscoelastic materials are applied to large surfaces, often in steel, to give them specific structural properties (bodies, cabins, ships, trains, etc.) or acoustic and vibration insulation (household appliances, machine insulation covers, in the building industry, etc.).

Localized applications, on the...