Fatigue Stress Spectra and Reliability Evaluation of Short- to Medium-Span Bridges under Stochastic and Dynamic Traffic Loads
Publication: Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 22, Issue 12
Abstract
This study presents a novel approach to simulating the fatigue stress spectra of short- to medium-span bridges under stochastic and dynamic traffic loads. The stochastic traffic load is simulated based on the weigh-in-motion (WIM) measurements of a heavy-duty highway bridge in China, and the dynamic effects are modeled using a vehicle-bridge coupled vibration system. An interpolation RSM is used to approximate the effective stress ranges of a bridge with respect to road roughness conditions, gross vehicle weights, vehicle configurations, and driving speeds. The RSM provides a platform for an efficient spectrum simulation of bridges under stochastic and dynamic traffic loads. A case study of a simply supported T-girder bridge demonstrates the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach. The proposed computational framework provides an effective approach for simulating the fatigue stress spectra for short- to medium-span bridges with WIM data. However, the efficiency of the approach depends on the number of intervals of driving speed and gross vehicle weight in the interpolation RSM. Additionally, overloading control has a considerable influence on the probability density of the high-amplitude stresses in the fatigue stress spectrum. Even a relatively high overloading limit value will considerably increase the fatigue reliability of a bridge. In addition, the numerical results provide a theoretical basis for bridge deck retrofitting and truck overloading control measures.
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Acknowledgments
The research was supported by the National Basic Research Program (973 program) of China (Grant 2015CB057706), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 51678068), the Open Fund of National Joint Engineering Research Laboratory for Long-Term Performance Improvement Technology for Bridges in Southern China (Grant 16BCX02), the Graduate Student Research Innovation Project in Hunan Province (Grant CX2017B460), and Hunan University Innovation Platform Open Fund (Grant 14K005). The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this study are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the sponsors.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Bridge Engineering
Volume 22 • Issue 12 • December 2017
Copyright
© 2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Nov 28, 2016
Accepted: May 30, 2017
Published online: Sep 19, 2017
Published in print: Dec 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Feb 19, 2018
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