LINKING ANALYSIS AND TEST : DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR OF A STEEL BRIDGE

Patrick Vanhonacker
Dynamic Engineering NV
Ambachtenkian 2I
B - 3001 Hwcrlec. Belgium

ABSTRACT bridge part. The last part is subdivided in twc~ lateral

sections and a central section (liiure 1). The bridge is
The steel railway bridge at Vi& (Belgium) is used
mainly used by heavy axle freight trains. Due to the
mainly fol- heavy axle load freight trains. Trains were
lack of maintenance on the bridge and the tracks
passing at a maximum speed of 20 km/h (1991). This
(wooden ties directly connected to the bridge frame),
paper reports on the dynamic analysis of the existing
the train speed had to be limited to 20 km/h.
bridge, aiming at improving the structure such that
The study was carried out for evaluating the
the maximum train speed would be increased to
necessay measures required to increase the
60 km/h.
commercial speed of the train to 60 km/h. Essential
A finite element model of the bridge was set up. A
points in this study were : do we have to replace the
dynamic analysis yielded modal pxamete*-s and
bridge by another bridge, what is the I-csidual life time
computed stress levels. Accelerations and stress
of this bridge ? The static and dynamic behavior of
levels were measured on the b1.idg.z during passage of
the bridge were analyzed (analytically and
heavy freight trains. By linking analysis and test
expfximentally). A reliable bridge model was
results, the dynamic bridge model was updated and
established. A new track fastening system on an
dynamic forces for train passages were obtained. The
inter-mediate load xpartition structure has been
dynamic forces were extrapolated for higher tl-ain
designed in order to optimize the static and dynamic
speeds and new stress levels in the bridge were
load pads into the bridge structure. The end result
obtained. This resulted in the design of a load
was that the existing bz-idge could be further used,
I.epartitioning structure between the track and the
after renewing the track structure, with tr-ain speeds
bridge sti-ucture, in order to reduce the stl-esses to
up to 80 km/h.
acceptable levels.
This papu repwts mainly on the duivation of a
This design, based upon a procedure which links
reliable bridge model, which was obtained by tuning
analysis and test, resulted in an expected increase of
initial tin&e element models, using expe*-imental
the bridge life time with some 30 years. Trains al-e
modal parameters and experimentally determined
now passing at 80 km/h.
modal damping values.

1. INTRODUCTION
2. FINITE ELEMENT MODELING
This paper reports on a dynamic study of a steel
The bridge structuvzs have been modeled using
railway b*-idge. The bridge is about SO years old. The
spatial beam elements. Ewxy node has six degl-ees of
steel quality and steel composition used are unknown.
freedom. Every element is characterized by :
lt consists of an isostatic b*-idge pa*-t and a cantilever-

713
l a modulus of elasticity; movable on the railway tracks. A load cell was
l a specitic mass; mounted on the impact masses. Frequency response
. three sections : Ax, Ay, AZ; functions were determined in 9 or 10 points for each
l three inertia terms : Ix, ly, 12. section and the first resonance frequencies and
corresponding modes were identified.

The &static part has 167 nodes and 368 elements

[iigux 2). The cantilever part has been modeled using Results :
two substructures with 510 nodes and 1153 elements
l &static part :
each (iigure 3). For the dynamic computations, the
. 2,80 Hz: horizontal bending;
mass of the on-modeled elements (rails, ties, . ..J has
. 5,59 Hz; vertical bending (fiiure 6);
been estimated at 280 kg/m.
. 5,80 Hz second horizontal bending;
The dynamic analysis was carried out up to 10 Hz.
l cantilever part lateral sections :
Since the bridge structures rest on concrete pile
. 1,58Hz: horizontal bending;
foundations, it was required to introduce the stiffness
. 2,43 Hz: vertical bending;
of these foundations in the model. These stiffness.%
. cantilever part. central section :
were obtained by inverting direct fx-equency response
. 1,82 Hz: horizontal bending;
function measurements obtained by impacting on the
l 2,73 Hz: vertical bending.
concrete pile structures.

4. TUNING OF THE MATHEMATICAL MODELS

An automated model updating technique [ref. l] using

a Bayesian parameter estimation scheme was used to
obtain improved corxlation between measured and
computed modal pararnetel-s. The SYSTUNE program
Following dynamic stiffnesses were obtained for this
[ref. 21 was used for this purpose. The resulting
foundation (approximative) :
resonance frequencies after 5 updating steps
. vertical stiffness : 1000 MN/m; (iterations) are given in table 1.
. horizontal stiffness : 5OOMN/m.
resonance frequency
part measured computed
Results obtained with initial finite element models : [HZ1 [HZ]
l &static part : &static
. 2,99 Hz : horizontal bending; hol-izontal bending 2.80 2,73
. .5,32 Hz: vertical bending (figure 4); vertical bending 5,59 5,71
. 6,21 Hz: second horizontal bending; 2’ horizontal bending S,SO 5,64
. cantilever part lateral sections : cantilever lateral
. 1,78Hz: horizontal bending (figul-e 51; horizontal bending I,58 I,46
. 2,61 Hz: vel-tical bending; vertical bending 2,43 2,30
. cantilever part central section : cantilever central
. 2,05 Hz: horizontal bending; horizontal bending I,82 I,68
. 3,llHz: vertical bending. vertical bending 2,73 2,65

Table 1

3. EXPERIMENTAL MODAL ANALYSIS

By means of modal testing, the iirst resonance This means that all computed resonance frequencies
fl-equency of the different bridge sections have been are within the measurement tolerances of the
obtained. For the vertical excitation, an impact mass measured resonance frequencies. This was achieved
of 66 kg was dropped from 30 cm high. FOI- the mainly by :
horizontal excitation a pendulum type mass of 120 kg
was used. The pendulum was fxed to a crane,
 l a reduction of the mass of the non-modeled wack in tables 3.a & 3.b. Bridge acceleration levels with the
elements by about 15 %: load repartitioning structul-e on the bridge for a train
l an increase in the mass density of the bridge passing at 80 km/h are lower than those obtained
material by almost 20 %, i.e. to take into account before with the same train passing at 20 km/h.
the masses of the connection plates and members,
bolts, maximum vertical
l a reduction of the modulus of elastici@ from acceleration level
210 GN/m*to ZOO GNJm*. speed before with LRS
[km/h1 [m/s- RMS] [m/s* RMS]
20 0,25 0,05
5. VALIDATION 40 0,lO
60 0,12
The updated models were validated by comparing the
80 0,18
measured maximum stresses with the computed
stresses during the passage of a train locomotive with Table 3.a
known axle loads at low speed (20 km/h). Only ve,y
small differences exist between measured and maximum horizontal
computed stresses (table 2). accderation level
speed before with LRS
[km/h] [m/s2 RMS] [mJs* RMS]
20 0,20 0,03
40 0,07
60 0,lO
80 0,15

12,18 10,55 Table 3.b

12,68 11,99

Table 2. 8. CONCLUSION

A bridge model has been optimized using a model

6. FURTHER USE OF THE BRIDGE MODELS updating technique. The updated models have been
validated and ful-ther used in the design of a load
The updated and validated bridge mod& have been I-epartitioning structure. The end result is such that
ased in further design analysis to : the old railway bridge remains in service a*ld
accommodates heavy ale load tl-ains Funning at 80
l design a load repartitioning structure, between the
rails and the bridge, consisting of longitudinal steel km/h (20 km/h before !]. This pl-eject would never
members, sepxated fr-om the bridge by vibration have been carried out without the knowledge that the
isolators. This load repartitioning structul-e is design was based on validated bridge models !
such that the static and dynamic load introduction
in the bridge is optimized (ligure 7).
9. REFERENCES
l compute the acceleration and stress levels on the
bridge for heavy axle load tl-ains I-unning at up to [1] Dynamic Engineuing, ‘SYSTUNE V3.1 Users
80 km/h. Manual, 1991

[2] E. Dascotte, P. Vanhonacker, “Development of an

automated mathematical model updating
7. FINAL RESULTS program”, Proceedings of the 7th International
Modal Analysis Conference; Las Vegas, Nevada,
After- installing this load repartitioning structure (LRS]
and after- fixation of the rails using dix.ect fasteners, Februay 1989
accelel-ation and stress levels were recorded on the
bridge during the passage of trains at different
speeds. The results of these measurements ax given

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