Framework of vehicle-bridge coupled analysis for suspension bridges under refined vehicle modeling considering realistic traffic behavior

Abstract

Long-span suspension bridges experience complex dynamic interactions with stochastic traffic, which has a critical impact on the design and safety assessment of bridges. In this study, a traffic-bridge interaction (TBI) framework is proposed for suspension bridge dynamics analysis by considering realistic traffic behavior and real vehicle characteristics. A stochastic traffic simulation model aiming to faithfully reproduce realistic traffic flow is developed by integrating the Monte Carlo approach and an intelligent driving model. The key parameters of the stochastic traffic model are input into the refined vehicle model established and the bridge model is built. The vehicle and bridge models are coupled by an interface contact method to obtain a complete TBI framework. The TBI framework is applied to a prototype long-span suspension bridge to fully investigate the effect of stochastic traffic flow loads on the vertical vibration of the bridge. Furthermore, the effect of stochastic traffic flow loads on the vertical displacement of a bridge is evaluated by varying key parameters in the TBI framework, such as traffic density and road roughness. The study provides a novel perspective on the refined dynamic analysis of suspension bridges under complex traffic conditions, which can further serve as a reference for the safety assessment of suspension bridges.