A numerical model based on moving mesh FE for vehicle bridge interaction

Abstract

The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the effects of damage phenomena on the structural behavior of Reinforced Concrete (RC) bridges and related identification procedures. To this end, an effective FE numerical model able to analyze the structural response, in presence of different damage scenarios, is implemented. Moreover, the influence of moving loads on the damage behavior is also considered by means of the vehicle-bridge interaction (VBI) FE model. The combination of the structural model and the vehicle mechanical system provides an advanced numerical model able to simulate the dynamic interaction between the bridge and the moving vehicle. This problem is managed by using the moving mesh technique. In particular, the formulation “Arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian” (ALE) provides an accurate description of the interaction between two systems. ALE approach is based on a fixed-referential system and moving coordinate variables, representing the positions of the computational nodes during the application of the moving loads. Vibrational analyses in terms of damage scenarios are presented to verify how the presence of material discontinuities affects the natural frequencies of the structural system. Moreover, results in terms of dynamic amplification factor for typical design bridge variables, in presence of damage phenomena and moving loads, are also developed. Finally, a discussion on the impact of the proposed results on the dynamic identification procedures is provided.