Analytical investigation for vehicle-bridge interaction between dynamic wheel loads and bridge response

The characteristics of dynamic wheel loads and motion of heavy vehicles passing over bridge and rigid surface are investigated by using three-dimensional analytical vehicle model. The dynamic wheel loads of a vehicle taken from analysis are compared with the experimental results carried out by Road-Vehicles Research Institute of Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) to verify the validity of the. analytical model. Another comparison of the analytical result with the experimental one carried out on Umeda Entrance Bridge of Hanshin Expressway in Osaka, Japan, is presented in this study. The agreement between the analytical and experimental results is satisfactory and encouraging the use of the analytical model in practice. From the analytical investigation of the vehicle-bridge interaction, it can be seen that the variations of dynamic increment factors of the bridges according to different vehicle speeds are related with those variations of RMS Values of dynamic wheel loads. Moreover, there exists strong dominant frequency resemblance between bounce motion of vehicle and bridge response.