Beam subjected to a moving multi-axle system

Abstract

Multi-axle vehicles are very complex mechanical systems with a number of degrees of freedom, linear and non-linear springs and damping. From the point of beam stress calculations they may be idealized sufficiently well by systems schematically shown in Fig. 10.1. However, those simplified models would not work to satisfaction if used in analysis of motions of all vehicle parts. In any case, the proposed idealization takes care of all the essential effects a multi-axle vehicle is likely to produce in a beam traversed by it. And that is just what we are primarily interested in — beam stresses and deflections.