This paper deals with a built-up structure consisting of a stiff beam and a flexible plate, where the plate is regarded as an energy absorber while the excited beam is regarded as being an energy path. For such a configuration, Grice showed the so-called blocking effect in that the isotropic plate behaves as an energy absorber in narrow frequency bands. This study finds that such energy dissipation can occur in relatively broad frequency bands, if different stiffnesses are used in the rectangular plate consisting of a series of strips. It was experimentally verified by Heckl that the energies, in terms of one-third octave band averages, transferred to the plate (or dissipated in the plate) increase with increased plate damping. This paper, however, shows that the energy absorption suddenly reduces at certain narrow frequency bands where the plate damping effect upon the coupled beam is maximized. Also, in order to minimize energy transfer through the beam in terms of one-third octave band averages, it is advantageous to increase the plate damping closer to the excitation point. All these results are based on the wave method.
