The field of structural acoustics is often referred to as vibroacoustics in Europe and Asia.
) of the structure according to When two dimensions of the structure are small with respect to wavelength (commonly called a beam), the wave speed is dictated by Young's modulus
Shear waves occur due to the shear stiffness and follows a similar equation, but with the displacement occurring in the transverse direction, perpendicular to the wave motion.
Most sound radiation is caused by bending (or flexural) waves, that deform the structure transversely as they propagate.
Finite element analysis can be used to predict the vibration of complex structures.
A finite element computer program will assemble the mass, stiffness, and damping matrices based on the element geometries and material properties, and solve for the vibration response based on the loads applied.
When a vibrating structure is in contact with a fluid, the normal particle velocities at the interface must be conserved (i.e. be equivalent).
For most engineering applications, the numerical simulation of fluid-structure interactions involved in vibro-acoustics may be achieved by coupling the Finite element method and the Boundary element method.