Numerical and Experimental Study of Free Vibration Characteristics of a Cable-Stayed Bridge

INTRODUCTIONUnderstanding dynamic response andits correla-tion to the effects of traffic , wind and earthquake hasbecome one of the engineering challenges of cable-stayed bridges , since the cable-stayed bridges arepresently extending to medium- and long-spanlengths .Investigations of both the aerodynamic sta-bility and earthquake response of cable-stayed bridgesare dependent upon knowledge of the dynamic char-acteristics ,such as natural frequencies , mode shapesand modal damping values ,…

Numerical and Experimental Study of Free Vibration Characteristics of a Cable-Stayed Bridge

The main aim of this study is to understand the dynamic behavior of a cable-stayed bridge,using both numerical and experimental analysis. A three-dimensionai finite element model for the bridge was developed for the free vibration analysis and the ambient vibration properties of the bridge were determined through field testing. The experimental and numerical results of natural frequencies and the associated mode shapes were compared, and the high accuracy between them shows that the 3D model is capable of approximately representing the dynamic behavior of the bridge and the use of ambient vibration survives in future testing of the bridge. These dynamic characteristics can be used as the basis for updating the finite element model and also for global damage detection.