Analytical and Experimental Approach for Assessing Vibration Serviceability of Highway Bridges Due to Heavy Vehicle Traffic

The major goals of this paper are to evaluate the serviceability of bridges with vibration problems among these structures in actual use, and to establish the evaluation criteria based on the evaluation results. To accomplish these goals, the vehicle’s weight, moving velocity, displacement from the measurement position, and acceleration were measured through the field test to evaluate the bridge’s serviceability with respect to its vibration characteristics. Furthermore, the vibration characteristics of the bridge were analyzed with respect to various factors that influence its vibration. For this purpose, the three-axle truck used in the field test was modelled as the moving vehicle with 8 degrees of freedom, and the bridge considered was modelled using the frame element. According to the comparison of the analytical and experimental results, the analytical method that was used to evaluate the bridge’s vibration serviceability as suggested in this paper based on the results of the analysis and field test is feasible.