Abstract
This contribution considers a virtual experiment on the vibrational response of rail and road bridges equipped with smart devices in the form of damping elements to mitigate vibrations. The internal damping of the bridge is considered a discontinuity that contain a dashpot. Exact complex eigenvalues and eigenfunctions are derived from a characteristic equation built as the determinant of a 4 × 4 matrix; this is accomplished through the use of the theory of generalized functions to find the response variables at the positions of the damping elements. To relate this to real world applications, the response of a bridge under Poisson type white noise is evaluated; this is similar to traffic loading that would be seen in a bridge’s service life. The contribution also discusses the importance of smart damping and dampers to sustainability efforts through the reduction of required materials, and it discusses the role played by robust mathematical modelling in the design phase.
Highlights
Modelling and simulation are becoming increasingly important enablers for the analysis and design of complex systems
The SMARTI Project concerns a wide variety of novel ideas that aim to improve the design of future and existing transport infrastructure, in that regard, this paper aims to address the sustainability and resiliency pillars of the SMARTI vision that is designed to serve as a guideline to achieve sustainable, multifunctional, automated, and resilient transport infrastructure
The study produced a detailed model of the Cisomang Railway Bridge and compared the dynamic response with and without a tuned mass dampers (TMDs), finding that the application of one TMD with a mass ratio of 1.6% would improve the safety of the structure and allow it to conform to more stringent safety and comfort criteria
Summary
Modelling and simulation are becoming increasingly important enablers for the analysis and design of complex systems. The dynamic response of a Euler–Bernoulli beam can only be accurately obtained by a very small number of methods, the most common ones being computer models such as the finite element method (FEM) and the classical numerical method These methods each have significant drawbacks: the FEM is accurate at lower modes, but as the number of modes under consideration increases, so too does the percentage error in the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions obtained. Current approaches used in the design of “smart” road bridges are discussed, and the importance of robust, efficient, and highly accurate analytical application and validation of these methods is stressed This is done with a view to achieve a greater understanding of bridge dynamics that can be used in the design phase to ensure that future rail and road infrastructure is more sustainable by reducing the material requirements in the construction phase but by facilitating more robust structures that require less costly maintenance and that have a longer service life
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