Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 September 2016
In the present paper, the low-velocity impact of an elastic rod with a flat end upon a viscoelastic Timoshenko type beam has been considered. Viscoelastic properties of the beam out of the contact zone are described by the standard linear solid model with integer derivatives, while inside this zone they are governed by the fractional derivative standard linear solid model. The contact force for a concrete target has been defined experimentally at the concrete age of 7, 14, 28, 56, and 91 days. It has been found that an average maximum of the contact force increases with concrete age, whereas the contact duration decreases. Moreover, the most remarkable changes of both, contact force and contact time, occur at the concrete age earlier than 14 days, after that the rate of changes slows down. Experimental results have a good coincidence with theoretical expectations.