Abstract: The parametric analysis on the basic mechanical properties of a hot-rolled H-shaped steel beam under a lateral impact load was done by use of ABAQUS. The reliability of the finite element analysis model was verified through comparing with the existing experiment of an H-shaped steel beam subjected to a lateral impact. And then, this FEA model was used to research the dynamic response of the H-shaped steel beam subjected to a lateral impact. The main parameters include the impact energy, mass and impact velocity of an impact hammer. The results indicate that the FEA model built could accurately simulate the process of a hot-rolled H-shaped steel beam under a lateral impact load and the impact energy, the mass and impact velocity have different influences on the dynamic response of a H-shaped steel beam.