  In this paper we consider a coupled system of pdes modelling the interaction
between a two--dimensional incompressible viscous fluid and a one--dimensional
elastic beam located on the upper part of the fluid domain boundary. We design
a functional framework to define weak solutions in case of contact between the
elastic beam and the bottom of the fluid cavity. We then prove that such
solutions exist globally in time regardless a possible contact by approximating
the beam equation by a damped beam and letting this additional viscosity
vanish.
