Vibration analysis of a Timoshenko beam subjected to a travelling mass

The analysis of the Timoshenko beam traversed by uniform partially distributed moving masses is carried out. Equations of motion are solved by using a finite difference based algorithm. The beam response, and the distribution of the shear force and bending moment along the beam have been computed. The effects of shear deformation, rotary inertia and the length of load distribution on the vibration of the beam have been analyzed. The results compare well with those reported in the literature for the limiting case in which the length of the load distribution reduces to zero and also the effects of shear deformation and rotary inertia are neglected. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.