Vibration suppression of beams traversed by moving loads, using optimal Tuned-Mass-Damper (TMD) systems, is investigated. This study is performed on two different geometrical shapes of the beam, namely, uniform homogenous straight beam, and the uniform homogenous curved beam. Initially, three different models of the moving load on a straight beam were developed using the APDL coding in ANSYS©, a commercially available software. Results obtained from the numerical simulation of either a single moving load or a moving mass on the straight beam were compared and validated with those reported in literature. A comprehensive parameter sensitivity analysis was carried out on the beam traversed by moving load with and without the presence of random base excitation and the effects of different beam parameters on the dynamic response of the system were closely examined. Vehicles travelling on suspension bridges induce undesirable vibration, which must be suppressed to a great extent. A half-car planar model moving on a straight beam is considered to study the suppression of vibration and parameter optimization. Attempt is made to design an optimal TMD system to suppress the induced vibration of the bridge due to the moving vehicle, considerably. Furthermore, the effect of non-symmetrical and side-way motion of vehicles on bridges has been considered when both the torsional and flexural vibrations of the bridge-vehicle have been present. Optimum values of the double-acting TMDs parameters have been found to suppress the combined flexural and torsional vibrations of the supporting beam structure. Similar work has been carried out on a uniform homogenous curved beam traversed by either a moving load or a half-car planner model. The effects of the beam curvature angle and the type of loading are closely studied. Optimum values of the two TMDs were obtained to suppress the combined flexural and torsional vibrations of bridges traversed by traveling vehicles. / UOIT

Several aspects of vehicle-pavement interaction have been studied and discussed in this thesis. Initially the pavement response is studied through a quasi-static and a dynamic computationally efficient framework under moving traffic loads. Subsequently, a non-stationary stochastic solution has been developed in order to account for the effect of pavement surface deterioration on pavement service life.The quasi-static procedure is based on a superposition principle and is computationally favourable, as it requires only a reduced incremental problem to be solved numerically. Using the developed framework, the effect of vehicle configuration and traffic characteristics on the damage induced in pavements is investigated numerically. It is shown that the developed numerical model provides a more accurate explanation of different distress modes.In the dynamic approach the pavement roughness and vehicle suspension system are linked to a dynamic pavement model in order to account for the dynamic effects of vehicle-pavement interaction on pavement response. A finite element method is employed in order to establish the response function for a linear viscoelastic pavement structure with dynamic effects taken into account. The developed computational procedure is applied to evaluate the effect of the pavement surface roughness on the pavement structure response to truck traffic loadings.Furthermore, the deterioration trends for the flexible pavement surface have been investigated based on field measurements of longitudinal profiles in Sweden. A predictive function is proposed for surface deterioration that is based on the average gradient of yearly measurements of the road surface profiles in Swedish road network. The developed dynamic framework is further elaborated to a non-stationary stochastic approach. The response of the flexible pavement is given for a non-stationary random case as the pavement surface deteriorates in pavement service life, thus influencing the magnitude of the dynamic loads induced by the vehicles. The effect of pavement surface evolution on the stress state induced in the pavement by moving traffic is examined numerically. Finally the effect of surface deterioration on pavement service life has been investigated and discussed in the thesis by incorporating the proposed prognostic surface deterioration model into a ME design framework. The results are discussed for different case studies with different traffic regimes. It was indicated that the predicted pavement service life decreases considerably when the extra dynamic loads, as a result of pavement surface deterioration, has been taken into account. Furthermore, the effect of performing a predictive rehabilitation process (i.e. resurfacing) has been studied by employing a LCC framework. The application of preventive maintenance was shown to be effective, especially when the deterioration rate is high. / <p>QC 20141119</p>

The Wavelet Finite Element Method (WFEM) involves combining the versatile wavelet analysis with the classical Finite Element Method (FEM) by utilizing the wavelet scaling functions as interpolating functions; providing an alternative to the conventional polynomial interpolation functions used in classical FEM. Wavelet analysis as a tool applied in WFEM has grown in popularity over the past decade and a half and the WFEM has demonstrated potential prowess to overcome some difficulties and limitations of FEM. This is particular for problems with regions of the solution domain where the gradient of the field variables are expected to vary fast or suddenly, leading to higher computational costs and/or inaccurate results. The properties of some of the various wavelet families such as compact support, multiresolution analysis (MRA), vanishing moments and the “two-scale” relations, make the use of wavelets in WFEM advantageous, particularly in the analysis of problems with strong nonlinearities, singularities and material property variations present. The wavelet based finite elements (WFEs) presented in this study, conceptually based on previous works, are constructed using the Daubechies and B-spline wavelet on the interval (BSWI) wavelet families. These two wavelet families possess the desired properties of multiresolution, compact support, the “two scale” relations and vanishing moments. The rod, beam and planar bar WFEs are used to study structural static and dynamic problems (moving load) via numerical examples. The dynamic analysis of functionally graded materials (FGMs) is further carried out through a new modified wavelet based finite element formulation using the Daubechies and BSWI wavelets, tailored for such classes of composite materials that have their properties varying spatially. Consequently, a modified algorithm of the multiscale Daubechies connection coefficients used in the formulation of the FGM elemental matrices and load vectors in wavelet space is presented and implemented in the formulation of the WFEs. The approach allows for the computation of the integral of the products of the Daubechies functions, and/or their derivatives, for different Daubechies function orders. The effects of varying the material distribution of a functionally graded (FG) beam on the natural frequency and dynamic response when subjected to a moving load for different velocity profiles are analysed. The dynamic responses of a FG beam resting on a viscoelastic foundation are also analysed for different material distributions, velocity and viscous damping profiles. The approximate solutions of the WFEM converge to the exact solution when the order and/or multiresolution scale of the WFE are increased. The results demonstrate that the Daubechies and B-spline based WFE solutions are highly accurate and require less number of elements than FEM due to the multiresolution property of WFEM. Furthermore, the applied moving load velocities and viscous damping influence the effects of varying the material distribution of FG beams on the dynamic response. Additional aspects of WFEM such as, the effect of altering the layout of the WFE and selection of the order of wavelet families to analyse static problems, are also presented in this study.

No description available.

No description available.

The world-wide development of new high-speed rail lines has led to more stringent design requirements for railway bridges. This is mainly due to the fact that a train at high speeds can cause resonance in the bridge superstructure.  In order to avoid problems of this kind, it has become essential to perform dynamic simulations, which are usually carried out in a time consuming finite element program. The main reason for not using an analytical solution is that this type of solution only exists for simple bridges, e.g., simply supported bridges. The aim of this thesis, is therefore the development of a simplified analytical model for preliminary dynamic analyses of railway bridges. The model is then used in several studies, both parametric and probabilistic ones, to determine the dynamic response of various railway bridges under moving loads. Special attention is paid to acceleration levels in the bridge superstructure, because previous studies have shown that these are often decisive. In the design, both the model and the numerical simulations can be used with considerable effectiveness to help engineers to define their structural systems. All bridges, throughout this thesis, have been modelled with elastically supported multi-span Bernoulli-Euler beams. The amount of dissipated energy is modelled using modal damping. The train load is modelled by concentrated loads, which implies that the vehicle-bridge interaction is not considered. A model with these characteristics can be used to analyse simply supported concrete bridges as well as multi-span steel bridges. Another advantage of the proposed method is that the solution is exact, because the equation of motion has been solved using a Laplace transform. A lot of effort has been made to have a model both as simple as possible and flexible enough to be able to study a wide variety of structures. The results of the case studies have shown that concrete bridges are more suitable than steel and composite bridges for use in the new high-speed lines. The simulations have also shown that short-span railway bridges have problems in meeting the design requirements. This confirms the high acceleration levels that were recorded in France, just after the inauguration of the new high-speed line between Lyon and Paris, on several short-span bridges. Furthermore, it was found that a multi-span bridge has a reduction in its dynamic response of up to 60 % compared to a similar simply supported bridge. / Utbyggnaden av nya höghastighetsbanor i världen har resulterat i striktare krav vid dimensionering av järnvägsbroar. Orsaken är främst att tåg vid höga hastigheter kan orsaka resonans i brons överbyggnad. För att kontrollera dessa effekter krävs omfattande dynamiska simuleringar, vilket ofta utförs med tidskrävande FE-analyser. Med analytiska metoder kan beräkningstiden minskas dramatiskt, dessa är dock ofta begränsade till enkla elementarfall, t.ex. fritt upplagda balkar. Syftet med föreliggande avhandling är att utveckla flexibla hjälpmedel för dynamiska kontroller av järnvägsbroar. Avhandlingen fokuserar på accelerationer i brons överbyggnad eftersom tidigare studier har visat att det är den som ofta är dimensionerande. Utöver detta görs det också ett flertal fallstudier och probabilistiska analyser. Ett stort fokus i arbetet har varit att modellen ska vara tillräckligt flexibel för att kunna analysera olika brotyper, samtidigt som mängden indata är begränsad. Följaktligen består modellen av en serie visköst dämpade Bernoulli-Euler balkar som vilar på elastiska upplag. Tåglasten beskrivs med rörliga punktlaster som appliceras direkt på brons överbyggnad utan att interaktion mellan tåg-spår-bro beaktas. Med dessa egenskaper kan modellen användas till att analysera alltifrån fritt upplagda betongbalkbroar till kontinuerliga samverkansbroar. En annan fördel med den föreslagna modellen är att lösningen är exakt eftersom rörelseekvationen har lösts med en Laplacetransform. Resultaten från fallstudierna visar att betongbroar har lägre dynamisk respons om man jämför med stål- och samverkansbroar. Simuleringarna bekräftar också resultat från tidigare studier som visar att broar med korta spann har svårt att uppfylla accelerationskravet. Detta är något som man också har erfarit i Frankrike, där man efter invigningen av höghastighetslinjen mellan Lyon och Paris uppmätte höga accelerationer hos ett flertal korta broar. Vidare visar också analyserna att en kontinuerlig balkbro har upp till 60 % lägre accelerationer jämfört med om samma bro hade utförts som fritt upplagd. / <p>QC 20130529</p>

New railway lines are continuously being constructed and existing lines are upgraded. Hence, there is a need for research directed towards efficient design of the supporting structures. Increasingly advanced calculation methods can be motivated, especially in projects where huge savings can be obtained from verifying that existing structures can safely support increased axle loads and higher speeds. This thesis treats the dynamic response of bridges under freight and passenger train loads. The main focus is the idealisation of the train load and its implications for the evaluation of the vertical bridge deck acceleration. To ensure the running safety of train traffic at high speeds the European design codes set a limit on the vertical bridge deck acceleration. By considering the train–bridge interaction, that is, to model the train as rigid bodies on suspension units instead of constant moving forces, a reduction in bridge response can be obtained. The amount of reduction in bridge deck acceleration is typically between 5 and 20% for bridges with a span up to 30 m. The reduction can be higher for certain train–bridge systems and can be important also for bridge spans over 30 m. This thesis aims at clarifying for which system parameter combinations the effect of train–bridge interaction is important. To this end, a thorough literature survey has been performed on studies in train–track–bridge dynamics. The governing parameters in 2D train–bridge systems have been further studied through a parameter screening procedure. The two-level factorial methodology was applied to study the effect of parameter variations as well as the joint effect from simultaneous changes in several parameters. The effect of the choice of load model was thus set in relation to the effect of other parameter variations. The results show that resonance can arise from freight train traffic within realistic speed ranges (&lt; 150 km/h). At these resonance peaks, the reduction in bridge response from a train–bridge interaction model can be considerable. From the screening of key parameters it can furthermore be concluded that the amount of reduction obtained with a train–bridge interaction model depends on several system parameters, both for freight and passenger train loads. In line with the European design code’s guidelines for dynamic assessment of bridges under passenger trains an additional amount of damping can be introduced as a simplified way of taking into account the reduction from train–bridge interaction. The amount of additional damping is today given as function of solely the bridge span length, which is a rough simplification. The work presented in this thesis supports the need for a refined definition of the additional damping. / Nya järnvägslinjer byggs kontinuerligt och befintliga linjer uppgraderas. Det finns därför ett behov av forskning inriktad på effektiv design av de bärande konstruktionerna. Alltmer avancerade beräkningsmetoder kan vara motiverade, särskilt i projekt där stora besparingar kan erhållas från att verifiera att befintliga konstruktioner kan bära ökade axellaster och högre hastigheter. Föreliggande avhandling behandlar broars dynamiska respons under belastning av gods- och passagerartåg. Huvudfokus är att studera modelleringsalternativ för tåglasten och vilka konsekvenser de har för utvärderingen av brobanans vertikala acceleration. För att garantera trafiksäkerhet vid höga tåghastigheter definierar de europeiska normerna en maximalt tillåten vertikal acceleration i brobanan. Genom att beakta tåg-bro-interaktion, där tågkomponenterna modelleras som avfjädrade stela kroppar istället för konstanta punktlaster, kan en minskning av brons respons erhållas. Reduktionen av brobanans acceleration är typiskt mellan 5 och 20% för broar med en spännvidd på upp till 30 m. Minskningen kan vara högre för vissa tåg-brosystem och kan vara viktigt också för spännvidder över 30 m. Denna avhandling syftar till att klargöra för vilka kombinationer av tåg-broparametrar effekten av tåg-bro-interaktion är viktig. I detta syfte har en omfattande litteraturstudie genomförts inom området tåg-spår-brodynamik. De styrande parametrarna i 2D tåg-brosystem har studerats vidare i en parameterstudie. Två-nivå faktorförsök har tillämpats för att studera effekten av parametervariationer samt den ytterligare effekten av samtidiga förändringar i flera parametrar. Effekten av valet av lastmodell sattes därmed i relation till effekten av andra parametervariationer. Resultaten visar att resonans kan uppstå från godstrafik inom ett realistiskt hastighetsintervall (&lt; 150 km/h). Vid dessa resonanstoppar kan en betydande minskning av broresponsen erhållas med en tåg-bro-interaktionsmodell. Från studien av nyckelparametrar kan man vidare dra slutsatsen att reduktionen som erhålls med en tåg-bro-interaktionsmodell beror på flera systemparametrar, både för gods- och passargerartåg. Enligt de europeiska normernas rekommendationer för dynamisk kontroll av broar för passagerartrafik kan en ökad brodämpning introduceras som ett förenklat sätt att ta hänsyn till minskningen från tåg-bro-interaktion. Mängden tilläggsdämpning anges idag som en funktion av enbart brons spännvidd, vilket är en grov förenkling. Det arbete som presenteras i denna avhandling visar på behovet av en förbättrad definition av tilläggsdämpningen. / <p>QC 20140429</p>

No description available.

The objective of this diploma thesis is a dynamic analysis of a cable-stayed walkway. The RFEM structural analysis software is used for the calculation. Design principles of the structure are explained and analysis of the construction phases is then performed. The eigenmodes of the structure are calculated for various material combinations. The thesis examines the effects of moving loads and earthquake effects using several different methods. A comparison of the various loading effects on the structure and also the calculation methods is presented at the conclusion.

The subject of this diploma thesis is the design of a load–bearing structure, whitch is situated in the extravillain between the town of Chomutov and the village Křimov. Main purpose of this structure is to pass a roadway I/7 across the valley. There are three options of design and one of them – the prestressed box girder bridge with slanted walls is chosen for more detailed elaboration. The major load–bearing structure is five–span with lenghts 46.50 + 58.00 + 58.00 + 58.00 + 46.50 m, made of post–tensioned nad cast–in–place concrete. The total lenght of load–bearing structure is 269.00 m and the width of load–bearing structure is 13.50 m, the bridge is straight in plan. The structure is analyzed by several computational models, which are designed in Scia Engineer 20.0 software. The structure is analysed in longitudinal and cross directions. The assessments of load state limit and usability limit state are made according to valid standards. This thesis also included time dependent analysis (TDA), that takes construction stage analysis into account.