Experimental Study on the Effect of Temperature on Modal Frequencies of Bridges

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between the temperature and the modal frequencies of bridges through a series of model experiments using a concrete continuous beam bridge model and a steel cable-stayed bridge model in a controlled-temperature chamber. The experimental results show that, for a given boundary condition and in the absence of freezing, a change in temperature affects the structural frequencies of the bridge as it alters the elastic modulus of the bridge materials. The structural frequency tends to linearly decrease with increasing temperature and with the decrease in the frequency of steel bridges smaller than that of concrete bridges. For the particular case of wet concrete bridges, the temperature dependencies of modal frequencies vary dramatically near the freezing point, which is attributable to the freeze–thaw process of concrete pore water. The effect of air humidity on structural frequency is less significant than that of temperature when the boundary conditions remain unchanged. Furthermore, temperature changes may alter the boundary conditions of bridges, thereby affecting the structural frequencies.