A closed form solution for the response of a long elastic beam to dynamic loading

Closed form solutions have been obtained using Fourier transform method for the deflection, curvature and particle velocity of a long elastic beam when it is subjected to a concentrated transverse force which is varying with time. These solutions have been illustrated with the help of two force histories, i.e. a half-sine pulse and a rectangular pulse. Dimensionless parameters representing deflection, curvature and particle velocity have been plotted as functions of dimensionless distance and dimensionless time. Furthermore, the particular case of constant velocity impact which has been studied by other authors using different techniques has also been considered in the present paper and the results compare within numerical errors involved in the evaluation of integrals. (orig.)