AbstractThe problem of controlling the dynamic response of a beam by means of boundary feedback is solved. The control is applied at one of the supports of the beam by means of a torque actuator in order to keep the maximum deflection within specified bounds. Since the location and time of the maximum deflection depend on the control itself, the feedback is determined by the solution of a min‐max problem. The theory is illustrated by a numerical example involving an impulsively loaded beam, and the effectiveness of the proposed control is studied numericall