Hardening vs. softening dichotomy of a hinged-simply supported beam with one end axial linear spring: Experimental and numerical studies

•Performance of experimental studies on a kinematically excited hinged-simply supported beam with an axial spring subjected to one end.•Confirmation of the smooth change from softening to hardening through linear behavior by increasing axial spring located in axial direction.•Comparison of frequency response curves for theoretical and experimental investigations with an excellent agreement, including the hysteresis.