Effect of train dynamics on seismic response of steel monorail bridges under moderate ground motion

This study is intended to investigate the seismic response of steel monorail bridges using three‐dimensional dynamic response analysis. We particularly consider monorail bridge–train interaction when subjected to ground motion that occurs with high probability. A monorail train car with two bogies with pneumatic tires for running, steering and stabilizing wheels is assumed to be represented sufficiently by a discrete rigid multi‐body system with 15 degrees of freedom (DOFs). Bridges are considered as an assemblage of beam elements with 6 DOFs at each node. Modal analysis is used for dynamic response analysis under moderate earthquakes. The seismic response of an advanced monorail bridge that adopts a simplified structural system and composite girders is investigated through comparison with seismic responses of a conventional bridge. The acceleration response of a monorail train is also calculated to investigate the effect of structural types of bridges on the train's dynamic response during earthquakes. Results show that the seismic responses of the advanced bridges are greater than those of the conventional monorail bridge because of the simplified structural system and increased girder weight that is attributable to composite girders of the advanced bridge. Moreover, the train on the advanced bridge shows greater dynamic response than that on the conventional bridge. Observations reveal that the dynamic monorail train system acts as a damper on the monorail bridge. That fact shows that the existing design, which considers a train as additional mass, yields a conservative result. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimation of structural parameters in time domain: A substructure approach

A substructure approach is used to estimate the stiffness and damping coefficients of structures from measurement of dynamic responses. The structures are decomposed into smaller subsystems for which state and observation equations are formulated and solved by the method of extended Kalman filter with a weighted global iteration algorithm. Substructural identification methods with and without overlapping members are proposed. In both methods, the convergence of the structural parameters to the optimal values is improved significantly with less computation time as compared to a complete structural approach. Numerical simulation studies are performed for three types of structures, namely a shear building, a plane frame building and a plane truss bridge. The effects of measurement noise and response observations required for identification of system parameters are also investigated.     

A method for the direct estimation of floor acceleration spectra for elastic and inelastic MDOF structures

This paper deals with floor acceleration spectra, which are used for the seismic design and assessment of acceleration‐sensitive equipment installed in buildings. In design codes and in practice, not enough attention has been paid to the seismic resistance of such equipment. An ‘accurate’ determination of floor spectra requires a complex and quite demanding dynamic response history analysis. The purpose of the study presented in this paper is the development of a direct method for the determination of floor acceleration spectra, which enables their generation directly from the design spectrum of the structure, by taking into account the structure's dynamic properties. The method is also applicable to inelastic structures, which can greatly improve the economic aspects of equipment design. A parametric study of floor acceleration spectra for elastic and inelastic single‐degree‐of‐freedom (SDOF) and multiple‐degree‐of‐freedom structures was conducted by using (non)linear response history analysis. The equipment was modelled as an elastic single‐degree‐of‐freedom system. The proposed method was validated by comparing the results obtained with the more accurate results obtained in a parametric study. Due to its simplicity, the method is an appropriate tool for practice. In the case of inelastic structural behaviour, the method should be used in combination with the N2 method, or another appropriate method for simplified nonlinear structural analysis. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dynamic interaction of bridge–train system under non‐uniform seismic ground motion

The probability that an earthquake occurs when a train is running over a bridge in earthquake‐prone regions is much higher than before, for high‐speed railway lines are rapidly developed to connect major cities worldwide. This paper presents a finite element method‐based framework for dynamic analysis of coupled bridge–train systems under non‐uniform seismic ground motion, in which rail–wheel interactions and possible separations between wheels and rails are taken into consideration. The governing equations of motion of the coupled bridge–train system are established in an absolute coordinate system. Without considering the decomposition of seismic responses into pseudo‐static and inertia‐dynamic components, the equations of motion of the coupled system are formed in terms of displacement seismic ground motions. The mode superposition method is applied to the bridge structure to make the problem manageable while the Newmark‐β method with an iterative computation scheme is used to find the best solution for the problem concerned. Eight high‐speed trains running over a multi‐span steel truss‐arch bridge subject to earthquakes are taken as a case study. The results from the case study demonstrate that the spatial variation of seismic ground motion affects dynamic responses of the bridge–train system. The ignorance of pseudo‐static component when using acceleration seismic ground motions as input may underestimate seismic responses of the bridge–train system. The probability of separation between wheels and rails becomes higher with increasing train speed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simplified fragility analysis of fan type cable stayed bridges

A simplified fragility analysis of fan type cable stayed bridges using Probabilistic Risk Analysis (PRA) procedure is presented for determining their failure probability under random ground motion. Seismic input to the bridge support is considered to be a risk consistent response spectrum which is obtained from a separate analysis. For the response analysis, the bridge deck is modeled as a beam supported on springs at different points. The stiffnesses of the springs are determined by a separate 2D static analysis of cable-tower-deck system. The analysis provides a coupled stiffness matrix for the spring system. A continuum method of analysis using dynamic stiffness is used to determine the dynamic properties of the bridges .The response of the bridge deck is obtained by the response spectrum method of analysis as applied to multidegree of freedom system which duly takes into account the quasi - static component of bridge deck vibration. The fragility analysis includes uncertainties arising due to the variation in ground motion, material property, modeling, method of analysis, ductility factor and damage concentration effect. Probability of failure of the bridge deck is determined by the First Order Second Moment (FOSM) method of reliability. A three span double plane symmetrical fan type cable stayed bridge of total span 689 m, is used as an illustrative example. The fragility curves for the bridge deck failure are obtained under a number of parametric variations. Some of the important conclusions of the study indicate that (i) not only vertical component but also the horizontal component of ground motion has considerable effect on the probability of failure; (ii) ground motion with no time lag between support excitations provides a smaller probability of failure as compared to ground motion with very large time lag between support excitation; and (iii) probability of failure may considerably increase for soft soil condition.     

基于约束模态综合法的非比例阻尼系统地震响应分析

为提高大型复杂结构体系的计算效率,在深入分析约束模态综合法原理的基础上,论述了非比例阻尼体系中约束模态综合法对阻尼矩阵的处理方法,并探讨了如何缩减对接界面自由度的问题。同时,通过算例详细说明了该方法在高层建筑结构动力时程分析中的应用。计算结果表明,在利用约束模态综合法求解非比例阻尼体系的动力问题时,文中所采用的阻尼矩阵的处理方法是有效的,与有限元直接法相比具有很好的精度。对于地基土-高层建筑结构体系的地震响应分析问题而言,缩减对接界面自由度的约束模态综合法可达到很好的计算精度,能够更大程度的提高计算效率,为大型复杂结构的动力时程分析研究和工程应用提供了一定的依据和方便。     

基于运营环境和提升小波变换的桥梁损伤检测研究

根据损伤桥梁在车辆荷载作用下的动力响应特点,以及提升小波变换对信号突变信息的放大功能,提出了利用桥梁运营荷载作用下加速度响应提升小波变换系数的分布特性对结构损伤进行识别的方法。首先,采集桥梁在行车荷载作用下的加速度响应信号;然后,对加速度响应信号进行提升小波变换,分别利用加速度响应信号、加速度响应信号差,提升小波变换系数空间变化的峰值识别损伤位置;最后,对行车速度、损伤位置、损伤程度和测量噪声对损伤识别效果的影响进行了分析讨论。结果表明：在行车速度8m/s以下、测量噪声不高于5%情况下,利用运营荷载作用下桥梁单点动力响应信号提升小波变换,可以实现桥梁多处损伤的检测和识别。     

System identification of the Vincent Thomas suspension bridge using earthquake records

The Vincent Thomas Bridge in the Los Angeles metropolitan area, is a critical artery for commercial traffic flow in and out of the Los Angeles Harbor, and is at risk in the seismically active Southern California region, particularly because it straddles the Palos Verdes fault zone. A combination of linear and non‐linear system identification techniques is employed to obtain a complete reduced‐order, multi‐input–multi‐output (MIMO) dynamic model of the Vincent Thomas Bridge based on the dynamic response of the structure to the 1987 Whittier and 1994 Northridge earthquakes. Starting with the available acceleration measurements (which consists of 15 accelerometers on the bridge structure and 10 accelerometers at various locations on its base), an efficient least‐squares‐based time‐domain identification procedure is applied to the data set to develop a reduced‐order, equivalent linear, multi‐degree‐of‐freedom model. Although not the main focus of this study, the linear system identification method is also combined with a non‐parametric identification technique, to generate a reduced‐order non‐linear mathematical model suitable for use in subsequent studies to predict, with good fidelity, the total response of the bridge under arbitrary dynamic environments. Results of this study yield measurements of the equivalent linear modal properties (frequencies, mode shapes and non‐proportional damping) as well as quantitative measures of the extent and nature of non‐linear interaction forces arising from strong ground shaking. It is shown that, for the particular subset of observations used in the identification procedure, the apparent non‐linearities in the system restoring forces are quite significant, and they contribute substantially to the improved fidelity of the model. Also shown is the potential of the identification technique under discussion to detect slight changes in the structure's influence coefficients, which may be indicators of damage and degradation in the structure being monitored. Difficulties associated with accurately estimating damping for lightly damped long‐span structures from their earthquake response are discussed. The technical issues raised in this paper indicate the need for added spatial resolution in sensor instrumentation to obtain identified mathematical models of structural systems with the broadest range of validity. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Shaking Table Tests on Bridge Foundation Reinforced by Anti-slide Piles on Slope

Based on the requirement of seismic reinforcement of bridge foundation on slope in the Chengdu-Lanzhou railway project, a shaking table model test of anti-slide pile protecting bridge foundation in landslide section is designed and completed. By applying Wenchuan seismic waves with different acceleration peaks, the stress and deformation characteristics of bridge pile foundation and anti-slide pile are analyzed, and the failure mode is discussed. Results show that the dynamic response of bridge pile and anti-slide pile are affected by the peak value of seismic acceleration of earthquake, with which the stress and deformation of the structure increase. The maximum dynamic earth pressure and the moment of anti-slide piles are located near the sliding surface, while that of bridge piles are located at the top of the pile. Based on the dynamic response of structure, local reinforcement needs to be carried out to meet the requirement of the seismic design. The PGA amplification factor of the surface is greater than the inside, and it decreases with the increase of the input seismic acceleration peak. When the slope failure occurs, the tension cracks are mainly produced in the shallow sliding zone and the coarse particles at the foot of the slope are accumulated.     

Nonlinear seismic response analysis of earth dams

The objective of this paper is to propose a general and efficient numerical procedure for analysing the dynamic response of geotechnical structures, which are considered as both nonlinear and two phase systems. In Section 2, the appropriate coupled dynamic field equations for the response of a two-phase soil system are briefly reviewed. The finite element spatial discretization of the field equations is described and time integration for the resulting nonlinear semi-discrete finite element equations is discussed. In Section 3, iterative techniques are examined for the solution of the global nonlinear system of finite element equations. A large amount of computational effort is expended in the iterative phase of the solution and so the iterative procedure used must be both reliable and efficient. The performance of three iterative procedure is examined: Newton Raphson, Modified Newton Raphson and Quasi-Newton methods, including BGFS and Broyden updates. Finally, in Section 4, the elasto-plastic earthquake response analysis of a two phase nonhomogeneous earth dam is presented. Extensive documentation exists¹ for the particular problem selected including recorded earthquake motions at the base and crest of the dam. The results of the numerical calculations are compared to the recorded response of the dam.     

Seismic fragility curves of as-built single-span masonry arch bridges

Masonry arch bridges are crucial elements in the railway transportation network throughout Europe. Although significant advances in seismic risk assessment of various bridge types have been made by developing fragility curves of generalized classes of structures, there are no comparable tools for masonry arch structures. In this context, this paper presents the construction of seismic fragility curves of single-span masonry bridges according to the limit analysis method. An iterative procedure is implemented to define the capacity curve of the equivalent single degree of freedom system through non-linear kinematic analysis. The process involves determination of the collapse mechanism, calculation of the limit load multiplier, and definition of the thrust line. The intrinsic variability of the seismic action is incorporated with the use of different sets of elastic spectra compatible with EC 8 Type-1 spectrum for various types of soil, with peak ground acceleration varying over the range 0.05–1.5 g. The fragility curves of the generalized classes of single-span masonry bridges are finally obtained from the effective ranges of the main geometric and material parameters affecting arch bridge capacity.     

Optimum viscous damper for connecting adjacent SDOF structures for harmonic and stationary white‐noise random excitations

The dynamic behaviour of two adjacent single‐degree‐of‐freedom (SDOF) structures connected with a viscous damper is studied under base acceleration. The base acceleration is modelled as harmonic excitation as well as stationary white‐noise random process. The governing equations of motion of the connected system are derived and solved for relative displacement and absolute acceleration responses of connected structures. The response of structures is found to be reduced by connecting with a viscous damper having appropriate damping. For undamped SDOF structures, the closed‐form expressions for optimum damping of viscous damper for minimum steady state as well as minimum mean square relative displacement and absolute acceleration of either of the connected SDOF structures are derived. The optimum damper damping is found to be functions of mass and frequency ratio of two connected structures. Further, numerical results had indicated that the damping of the connected structures does not have noticeable effects on the optimum damper damping and the corresponding optimized response. This implies that the derived closed‐form expressions for optimum damper damping of undamped structures can also be used in practical applications for damped structures. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Direct estimation of seismic response in reduced-degree-of-freedom isolation and energy dissipation systems

A methodology for the development of design tools for direct estimation of peak inelastic response in reduced-degree-of-freedom (RDOF) isolation and energy dissipation systems is presented. The suggested procedure is an extension of an earlier method addressing purely hysteretic isolation systems. Herein, the dynamic equation of motion is first normalised to reduce the number of design parameters that significantly affect the response. The sensitivity of normalised response quantities to the amplitude of the ground motion is then investigated through extensive parametric nonlinear dynamic analyses of isolated single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems with linear viscous damping using code-based target spectra. Regression analysis is subsequently employed to develop generalised design equations (GDEs) suitable for design. Further investigations are made to address nonlinear viscous damping and the effect of the transverse component of seismic action in two-degree-of freedom (2DOF) systems under bidirectional excitation, making the procedure applicable to common bridge isolation schemes. GDEs constitute an alternative to equivalent linearisation approaches commonly adopted by codes, informing the selection among alternative isolation and energy dissipations schemes without requiring iterative analysis. The approach is incorporated in the Deformation-Based Design methodology for seismically isolated bridges in a forthcoming paper.     

Bridge–embankment interaction under transverse ground excitation

Seismic performance and dynamic response of bridge–embankments during strong or moderate ground excitations are investigated through finite element (FE) modelling and detailed dynamic analysis. Previous research studies have established that bridge–embankments exhibit increasingly flexible performance under high‐shear deformation levels and that soil displacements at bridge abutment supports may be significant particularly in the transverse direction. The 2D equation of motion is solved for the embankment, in order to evaluate the dynamic characteristics and to describe explicitly the seismic performance and dynamic response under transverse excitations accounting for soil nonlinearities, soil–structure interaction and imposed boundary conditions (BCs). Using the proposed model, equivalent elastic analysis was performed so as to evaluate the dynamic response of approach embankments while accounting for soil–structure interaction. The analytical procedures were applied in the case of a well‐documented bridge with monolithic supports (Painter Street Overcrossing, PSO) which had been instrumented and embankment participation was identified from its response records after the 1971 San Fernando earthquake. The dynamic characteristics and dynamic response of the PSO embankments were evaluated for alternative BCs accounting for soil–structure interaction. Explicit expressions for the evaluation of the critical embankment length L_c are provided in order to quantify soil contribution to the overall bridge system under strong intensity ground excitations. The dynamic response of the entire bridge system (deck–abutments–embankments) was also evaluated through simplified models that considered soil–structure interaction. Results obtained from this analysis are correlated with those of detailed 3D FE models and field data with good agreement. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spectral analysis of systems with non-classical damping using classical mode superposition technique

A spectral method for random vibration analysis of a structural system with non-proportional damping is presented using classical (undamped) mode superposition technique. The method obtains the frequency response function of the system by solving the dynamic equilibrium equations in generalized co-ordinates through an iterative process. The iterative solution is written in closed form and the proof for convergence of the iterative process is given. Numerical examples show the convergence characteristics of the process and an excellent accuracy of the obtained results. The method turns out to be computationally more efficient than the conventional methods of spectral analysis using damped mode shapes and frequencies.     

Lanczos method for the solution of groundwater flow in discretely fractured porous media

One of the more advanced approaches for simulating groundwater flow in fractured porous media is the discrete-fracture approach. This approach is limited by the large computational overheads associated with traditional modeling methods. In this work, we apply the Lanczos reduction method to the modeling of groundwater flow in fractured porous media using the discrete-fracture approach. The Lanczos reduction method reduces a finite element equation system to a much smaller tridiagonal system of first-order differential equations. The reduced system can be solved by a standard tridiagonal algorithm with little computational effort. Because solving the reduced system is more efficient compared to solving the original system, the simulation of groundwater flow in discretely fractured media using the reduction method is very efficient. The proposed method is especially suitable for the problem of large-scale and long-term simulation. In this paper, we develop an iterative version of Lanczos algorithm, in which the preconditioned conjugate gradient solver based on ORTHOMIN acceleration is employed within the Lanczos reduction process. Additional efficiency for the Lanczos method is achieved by applying an eigenvalue shift technique. The “shift” method can improve the Lanczos system convergence, by requiring fewer modes to achieve the same level of accuracy over the unshifted case. The developed model is verified by comparison with dual-porosity approach. The efficiency and accuracy of the method are demonstrated on a field-scale problem and compared to the performance of classic time marching method using an iterative solver on the original system. In spite of the advances, more theoretical work needs to be carried out to determine the optimal value of the shift before computations are actually carried out.     

随机地震动场多点激励下宽幅大跨桥梁结构地震响应研究

为了研究随机地震动场多点激励作用下宽幅大跨桥梁结构的地震响应,基于二维相干模型,考虑地震波非平稳性合成桥址各支承点的人工地震加速度时程波,采用多项式拟合法在时域内对各支承点处的人工合成加速度波进行校正,并对校正前后加速度波的响应谱进行比较校验;随后以某大跨自锚式悬索桥为例,利有限元软件中线性时程分析模块,将所合成的加速度地震波施加于结构,对比研究一致激励与随机地震动多点激励下宽幅大跨桥梁结构的地震响应。分析表明,考虑二维相干和地震波非平稳性合成的各支承点地震加速度时程波可采用多项式拟合法进行基线漂移现象的校正,同时应对修正前后加速度波的反应谱进行比较校验;对于大跨且横桥向支承点相距较远的桥梁结构应考虑横桥向地震波的非一致性。     

Time domain BEM analysis of dynamic response of a cylinder embedded in soil with frictional slip at the interface

A 2D time domain boundary element method (BEM) is developed to study the dynamic response of a cylinder embedded in soil. The interface is assumed in contact with Coulomb friction. For the incident wave strong enough, local slip may occur along the interface. We suppose a pressure enough high is applied on the interface so that separation is impossible. The present problem is indeed a nonlinear boundary value problem since the mixed boundary conditions involve unknown intervals (slip and stick regions). In order to determine the unknown intervals, an iterative technique is developed. As an example, we consider the scattering of a circular cylinder embedded in an infinite solid. Numerical results for the near field solutions are presented. The nonlinear nature of the system is discussed.     

地震区跨活动断层桥梁桩基动力时程响应分析

为了研究强震区桥梁跨活动断层时,桩基在地震中的动力响应,以海文大桥为工程背景,利用Midas GTS有限元软件建立其强震区桩-海床岩土体-断层耦合作用的数值模型,研究不同强度(0.20g～0.60g)的50年超越概率为10%的地震波(后文简称5010地震波)作用下,桥梁桩基加速度、位移、弯矩及剪力的动力时程响应特性。结果表明：上部大厚度松散土体对桩身加速度有放大及滤波作用,而基岩对桩身加速度几乎不产生作用;断层上、下盘桩基础的桩顶水平位移随输入地震动强度的增大而增大,但达到振幅的时刻一致;上、下盘桩基础桩顶竖向位移时程响应都在50 s以后产生永久沉降;桩身最大弯矩截面处时程响应均在40 s以后产生永久弯矩;应重点考虑上部覆盖层软硬土体界面和基岩界面的抗弯承载力设计,及桩顶和基岩面附近的抗剪承载力设计;上盘桩基础按桩身加速度、弯矩、桩顶水平位移等动参数控制设计,下盘桩基础按动剪应力控制设计。