The impact of a moving load speed on the dynamic overload of beams, assuming that the track of the load has no unevenness, is examined. First the problem of a visco-elastic beam on a Winkler foundation subjected to a force moving at a constant speed will be solved. Using the Bubnov-Galerkin method, the deflections of the beam, and then the bending moments and shear forces will be determined. The solution of the problem will be obtained both for the case of a forced vibration and the case of a free vibration after the moving force has left the beam. Using these solutions, dynamic amplification factors will be determined for the deflections, bending moments, and shear forces, which are different for the two cases.

The magnitude of the amplification factors increases and decreases alternately as a function of the speed. In the case of a single force on a beam, the dynamic overloads are limited, and do not exceed 60%. There is no resonance phenomenon in the beam subjected to the single moving force. The dynamic amplification factors determined in this way can be used as correction coefficients when designing engineering structures subjected to moving loads by static methods.

This paper presents the capabilities of ABAQUS finite-element program [1] in modelling sandwich beams and plates resting on deformable foundations. Specific systems of sandwich beams and plates separated by an elastic core layer were subjected to the action of point and distributed moving loads. A few theoretical examples are provided to present different techniques of modelling the foundations and the moving loads. The effects of the boundary conditions and of the foundation parameters on the deflections of the analysed structures are also presented.