Stochastic harmonic function-based traffic load simulation method for fatigue damage assessment of concrete bridges

Abstract

A novel simulation method of the compound Poisson process based on the stochastic harmonic function (SHF) is proposed to represent the stochastic traffic load process, so that the fatigue damage of concrete bridges under traffic loading can be efficiently and accurately evaluated. To start with, the fundamental theory of simulation of the compound Poisson process via SHF is elucidated in detail with the application of the inverse transformation principle. Afterwards, the stochastic traffic load modelled by the compound Poisson process is reproduced by utilizing the SHF-based simulation method. Simultaneously, the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method is applied to simulate the traffic load, aiming to verify the superiority of the SHF-based method. By introducing a micro–meso stochastic fatigue damage constitutive model of concrete, integrated with the SHF-based simulation method of traffic load, the theoretical framework of estimating fatigue damage of concrete bridges under stochastic traffic loading is established. Finally, the fatigue damage assessment of a concrete bridge in practical engineering is implemented to validate the feasibility and advantage of the proposed SHF-based traffic load simulation method.