Computation of Impact Effect of Multi-span Beam Bridge under Light-Rail Vehicle

Abstract

In this paper, the bending moment impact effect of a 7-span beam bridges under the single-carriage light-rail vehicle at different speeds is investigated. The 7-span composite box girder bridge is modelled using the shell element. The light-rail vehicle is modeled using the rigid beam and the spring-damper elements with 31 degrees-of-freedom. The vehicle-bridge interaction is modeled using the displacement contact method. The computed bending moment envelopes show that for the studied bridges under the concerned light-rail vehicle at the moving speeds from 80 km/h to 120 km/h, the impact effect on the positive bending moment of the first and the sixth span are the most notable: the impact factor will reach 1.742 for the first span and 1.508 for the sixth span.