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Due to their dynamic properties, viscoelastic materials are largely used in different sectors of industry to reduce noise and vibration in mechanical structures. In particular, partial constrained layer damping (PCLD) treatments have been used and studied in order to lessen stationary vibration and ringing noise. In the present work, simulations are performed to predict the effect of PCLD on the initial transient dynamic response of a planar impacted structure. The structure is a simply supported, rectangular aluminum plate impacted at its center with a small steel sphere. A parametric study is carried out based on a finite element model using ABAQUS 6.5 [Dassault Systèmes (ABAQUS Inc., Silicon Valley, CA)], whose results are well correlated with previous experiments. The model reflects the effects of several PCLD parameters on the initial transient response of the padded plate. The results from the parametric study show that the stiffness of the viscoelastic layer is a crucial parameter in the initial transient dynamic response of the impacted plate. It is also shown that the pads locally modify the dynamic properties of the plate thus causing changes in the time evolution of the deformation field. The combined use of PCLD to reduce both the initial transient response of the impacted structure and the ensuing flexural vibration could open the way for a better reduction of impact noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]