Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis of a Timoshenko Beam Resting on a Viscoelastic Foundation and Traveled by a Moving Mass

The dynamic response of a Timoshenko beam with immovable ends resting on a nonlinear viscoelastic foundation and subjected to motion of a traveling mass moving with a constant velocity is studied. Primarily, the beam’s nonlinear governing coupled PDEs of motion for the lateral and longitudinal displacements as well as the beam’s cross-sectional rotation are derived using Hamilton’s principle. On deriving these nonlinear coupled PDEs the stretching effect of the beam’s neutral axis due to the beam’s fixed end conditions in conjunction with the von-Karman strain-displacement relations is considered. To obtain the dynamic responses of the beam under the act of a moving mass, derived nonlinear coupled PDEs of motion are solved by applying Galerkin’s method. Then the beam’s dynamic responses are obtained using mode summation technique. Furthermore, after verification of our results with other sources in the literature a parametric study on the dynamic response of the beam is conducted by changing the velocity of the moving mass, damping coefficient, and stiffnesses of the foundation including linear and cubic nonlinear parts, respectively. It is observed that the inclusion of geometrical and foundation stiffness nonlinearities into the system in presence of the foundation damping will produce significant effect in the beam’s dynamic response.