Numerical study of dynamic response of reinforced concrete bridge induced by selected heavy vehicle

The main aim of this study is to carry out dynamic simulations of structural response of reinforced concrete bridge loaded with a moving heavy vehicle. Computational dynamics analysis was conducted using LS-DYNA computer code. The selected bridge was a reinforced-concrete structure located on the U.S. 90 in Northwest Florida. The bridge has six prestressed AASHTO type III beams and concrete deck. An 8-axle vehicle including a tractor unit and a low bed trailer were selected as a representative for the study. FE model of the tractor based on previous studies; however, a FE model of the trailer was developed for the present work. Analyses included passages of a vehicle with 47 tonnes cargo. A cargo resting on a trailer was taken into account by changing the material density of selected components in the semi-trailer FE model. Time histories of the bridge deflections in the middle of the span were recorded during the simulation tests. Simulations were performed for the vehicle velocity between 20 and 50 mph, stepped by 5 mph. An influence of the velocity on the bridge deflection was determined. The main objective of the simulation tests on the selected bridge was to assess the actual dynamic load allowance (DLA), also known as impact factor, based on the maximum deflection of the bridge span as a function of the vehicle velocity.