Numerical modeling and dynamic analysis of a floating bridge subjected to wave, current and moving loads

Abstract

The dynamic analysis of the pontoon-type floating bridge is very important in the design phase. In this paper, a numerical simulation method for calculating the dynamic properties of a floating bridge under the wave, current, and moving loads was presented. In order to verify this method, the calculated vertical displacements of the floating bridge under vehicle loads were compared with the experimental results. The effects of vehicle speeds and distances between neighboring vehicles on the vertical displacements of pontoons were analyzed. The influences of environmental parameters on dynamic characteristics were also investigated. The results show that the vertical displacements of pontoons caused by heavy moving loads are significantly bigger than those caused by environmental loads. In addition, some useful conclusions have been drawn, which aim to provide references for the analysis and design of the pontoon-type floating bridges.