Gatwick Airport Pier 6 Link Bridge

Figure1
Exteriorviewofbridge.

Figure2
Interiorviewofbridge.
CopyrightPeteBarrWatson
(licensedunderCreative
CommonsAttribution
Figure4
Estimatedmodalproperties
fromFRFbasedshaker
modaltestingyieldingreliable
estimatesformodeshaving
Figure5
Frequencyanddamping
versusamplitude

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Background
The Gatwick Airport Pier 6 Link Bridge (Figure 1), completed in2005, was constructed to connect a new pier to an existing
terminal building at the airport. The bridge traverses a majortaxiway and there is sucient clearance for a Boeing 747-400
aircraft to pass underneath.

To prevent excessive vibration caused by large numbers ofpedestrians crossing the bridge (Figure 2) simultaneously, tunedliquid dampers (TLDs) were designed to add
damping to thecritical vibration modes. The purpose of this project was to
establish the natural frequencies of the bridge to enable thesedampers to be properly tuned. It was also necessary toevaluate potential nonlinear eects from
cladding/glazingelements.

Ambient Vibration Testing

Ambient vibration testing was carried out to provide a quickmeasurement of vibration modes of the structure. 15accelerometers were installed; 5 each at span,
midspan and span. Acceleration response data were acquired for a
period of 15 minutes due to natural excitation (wind, groundmotion, etc.). Ambient modal parameter estimation was
carried out to estimate the lowest 5 modes of vibration.

Client: Arup

Location: Gatwick, Surrey, UK

Gatwick Airport Pier 6 Link Bridge

Gatwick Airport (LGW), West Sussex RH6 0NP, UK
Client: Arup Location: Gatwick, Surrey, UK

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Forced Vibration Testing

Forced vibration testing was carried out to determine vibrationmodes at levels of excitation similar to that produced by large
Forced vibration testing was carried out to determine vibrationmodes at levels of excitation similar to that produced by large
numbers of people on the bridge. Two APS dynamicelectrodynamic shakers with a total of 1.2 tonnes of movingmass were used to excite the structure (Figure 3) and
carry outstepped sine testing under two dierent levels of excitation.

Multi-input multi-output modal parameter estimation wascarried out to estimate the modes shown below. Note that the
modes on the left correspond with a high level of vibration andthe modes on the right correspond with a low level of vibration.Both natural frequencies and damping
values weredependent on the level of vibration.

Free vibration decay measurements were also made. Thebridge was excited in resonance using the shakers, which were
then suddenly shut down allowing the bridge to vibrationfreely. Cycle-by-cycle curve tting of the accelerationresponse following shaker shutdown enabled the
amplitudedependence of the frequencies and damping values to beestablished, as shown in Figure 5.

Successful completion of these measurements enabled theengineers to tune the TLDs to the critical vibration mode for
pedestrian excitation. The measurements also revealed thatthe cladding and glazing elements on the bridge had a major
eect on the structural dynamic properties, despite beingdesigned as purely non-structural elements.

Gatwick Airport Pier 6 Link Bridge

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