Dynamic analysis of a symmetric laminated composite beam subjected to a moving load with constant velocity

This study deals with the dynamic behavior of a symmetric laminated composite beam subjected to a concentrated force traveling at a constant velocity. The dynamic analyses for a fixed-fixed composite beam under the action of a moving load are carried out by the finite element method. A three-dimensional finite element model based on the classical lamination theory is used. The Newmark integration method is employed in order to calculate the dynamic response. A computer code is developed using MATLAB to perform the finite element vibration analysis. The dynamic magnification, which is defined as the ratio between the dynamic and static displacements is obtained for different load velocities and ply orientations. The results reported in this paper show that load velocity and ply orientation have significant effect on the dynamic response, especially for those with [90](2s) lay-up. For a fixed-fixed beam, the maximum mid-point deflection is observed when the total traveling time is equal to the first natural period of the beam