A general closed-form solution to a Timoshenko beam on elastic foundation under moving harmonic line load

Abstract

In this paper, a general closed-form solution for evaluating the dynamic behavior of a Timoshenko beam on elastic foundation under a moving harmonic line load is formulated in the frequency-wavenumber domain and in a moving coordinate system. It is found that the characteristic equation is quartic with real coefficients only, and its poles can be presented explicitly. This enables the substitution of these poles into Cauchy\'s residue theorem, leading to the general closed-form solution. The solution can be reduced to seven existing closed-form solutions to different sub-problems and a new closed-form solution to the subproblem of a Timoshenko beam on an elastic foundation subjected to a moving quasi-static line load. Two examples are included to verify the solution.