Analysis of the influence of transverse connections on the vibration response of girder bridge structures subjected to moving vehicle loads

Abstract

To reduce the complexity of the vibration analysis of girder bridges subjected to moving vehicle loads, the spatial analysis is often converted into a planar problem using the transverse load distribution factor (TLDF). Therefore, the influence of the transverse connection system (deck slab, cross beams) has also not been fully considered in the calculation process. To clarify further, this paper presents several analysis results on the dynamic interaction between the girder bridge structure and moving vehicle loads, considering the stiffness of the transverse connection system. The initial research results indicate that the vibration response of the exterior girder, when considering the influence of the transverse connection, aligns relatively well with the case using the transverse load distribution factor (TLDF), with a maximum discrepancy of 25.99%. Therefore, for higher accuracy requirements, the stiffness of the transverse connection should be incorporated into the computational model. In approximate cases, TLDF can be applied to reduce the computational effort and complexity of the analysis.

Keywords: Vibration; girder bridge; transverse load distribution factor; bridge deck; cross beam.