The vibration and impact dynamics of a loosely supported beam subject to harmonic forces are evaluated and the wear rates at impact points are analyzed. The considered beam is clamped at one end, and constrained against unilateral contact at contact sites, with or without friction, near the other. This work is a continuation of our previous paper Knudsen et al. (1997), in which the structure was modelled by a Bernoulli-type beam supported by springs using finite element method. To ensure the accuracy of our method, we have analyzed the influence of the number elements and time step size on wear work rate. We utilize a detailed finite element model to gain knowledge of support properties at a contact point level. Furthermore, we compare our model calculations with measurements made on a loosely supported rod subject to harmonic loading