Recent Research and Applications of Numerical Simulation for Dynamic Response of Long-Span Bridges Subjected to Multiple Loads

Abstract

Many long-span bridges have been built throughout the world in recent years but they are often subject to multiple types of dynamic loads, especially those located in wind-prone regions and carrying both trains and road vehicles. To ensure the safety and functionality of these bridges, dynamic responses of long-span bridges are often required for bridge assessment. Given that there are several limitations for the assessment based on field measurement of dynamic responses, a promising approach is based on numerical simulation technologies. This paper provides a detailed review of key issues involved in dynamic response analysis of long-span multiload bridges based on numerical simulation technologies, including dynamic interactions between running trains and bridge, between running road vehicles and bridge, and between wind and bridge, and in the wind-vehicle-bridge coupled system. Then a comprehensive review is conducted for engineering applications of newly developed numerical simulation technologies to safety assessment of long-span bridges, such as assessment of fatigue damage and assessment under extreme events. Finally, the existing problems and promising research efforts for the numerical simulation technologies and their applications to assessment of long-span multiload bridges are explored.

Physical Modelling vs. Numerical Modelling: Complementarity and Learning

“…In the area of structural mechanics, it is mainly the construction of bridges and concrete and earth-fill dams that require complementary physical and numerical simulation approaches to assess specific aspects of design, construction, and structural behaviour of different types of actions/forcing. We refer the reader to the works of Chen and Chen [26], Al-Janabi et al [27] and Ninot et al [28], among many others for more information on this topic.…”

Post-fire nonlinear vehicle–bridge interaction analysis considering hysteretic material behavior

“…For this reason, numerical approaches have been proposed for analyzing more realistic and thus complex bridges and vehicle systems. In large, numerical approaches to VBI problems including an inertial force of vehicle can be categorized into two types (Chen and Chen, 2014; Deng et al, 2015): (i) Separated representation for each VBI component; (ii) Augmented representation for entire VBI components. Among those two, separated representation first constructs two sets of Equations of Motion (EOM); one system for the bridge and the other system for the vehicle.…”

A Review on the Combined Effects of Seismic and Vehicular Vibrations on Long Span Bridges

“…The effect of dynamic forces on long span bridges were instigated after the collapse of the famous Tacoma Bridge in USA. Zhiwei Chen et.al [26] pointed out that for long span bridges subjected to multiple loadings, a number of loading combinations should be simulated in assessment of its behaviour. Further, it was reported that validation of numerical simulations with data measured using structural health monitoring system makes the safety assessment more reliable for these types of structures.…”