Abstract
This work investigates trapped modes induced by localized inhomogeneities in semi-infinite elastic waveguides in the form of a point mass or a meta-spring attached to the edge. Explicit relations linking the parameters of the meta-spring and the mass are presented with a string or beam resting on a Winkler foundation. Asymptotic expansions are derived to describe the limiting behavior of the obtained solutions, including small- and large-mass regimes. Special emphasis is placed on the less-studied trapped modes in an elastically supported beam, providing new insights into the peculiarities of wave localization phenomena, e.g., the analysis of the associated frequency equation.