Analytical Solutions for Simply Supported Viscously Damped Double-Beam System under Moving Harmonic Loads

Abstract

In this paper, the dynamic response of a simply supported viscously damped double-beam system under moving harmonic loads is investigated. The double-beam system consists of two elastic homogeneous isotropic beams, which are identical, parallel, and connected continuously by a layer of elastic springs provided with viscous damping. Two coupled governing equations describing the vibration of those two beams are decoupled by a simple change of variables, so that the analytical solutions for the dynamic deflections of both beams can be given. Numerical examples are employed to investigate the effects of moving speed and frequency of load, as well as the damping and the elasticity of the layer, on the dynamic responses of the beams. The deflections for the double-beam system are also compared to these of a single-beam system.