The invention discloses an axle recognition method and system for an axle beam. The method comprises the steps that two section sets containing 4-6 sections are marked in the lengthwise direction of the axle beam to form two virtual simply supported beams; axle beam time-interval responses of the two section sets are collected and measured, two isolating responses are calculated and obtained according to the time-interval responses, and the two isolating responses are used for constructing two response time-interval curves respectively; statistics is carried out on the local peak quantity on the response time-interval curves to obtain the number N of vehicle axles or axle sets. The system comprises sensors and a data processing operation center, wherein the sensors are installed on the two section sets containing 4-6 sections and used for converting the axle beam time-interval responses into electrical signals to be output, and the data processing operation center is used for calculating the isolating responses according to the time-interval responses and constructing the response time-interval curves, so that the number N of the vehicle axles or axle sets is obtained. According to the method, the axle-beam overall responses are used for recognizing the axle distance of vehicles, the vehicle recognition result is more reliable, and then the vehicle speed and the axle distance can be recognized accurately.