Relation of the infrasound characteristics and the continuous steel bridge vibration modes generated by the vibration of moving heavy trucks

Abstract

As heavy trucks pass over highway bridges, bridge vibration occurs and generates infrasound. General trucks in Japan with rear leaf suspension have whole body vibration (suspension spring vibration) frequencies of about 3 Hz. Also, the frequencies of the wheel vibration (tire spring vibration) are about 10–20 Hz. The continuous steel highway bridges with middle span length have vibration modes with the same phase in each span at the frequencies of about 3 Hz and also have those with the secondary mode shape at the frequencies of about 10–20 Hz. Truck vibrations and bridge vibrations are closely related. In this work, vibration tests are conducted using a heavy test truck for two cases of infrasound complaints in order to investigate the relation between the continuous steel bridge vibration modes generated by the vibration of moving heavy trucks and its infrasound characteristics. As a result of the examination, two types of bridge vibration modes are caused by the vibrations of a moving heavy truck. Moreover, the bending vibration modes with the same phase in each span have the most powerful infrasound pressure, since each span vibrates with the same phase. Two countermeasures, including viscoelastic damper at the end of the girders and extended deck method, are proposed to reduce the amplitude of bridge vibration and its infrasound.