Monitoring results of the railway bridge: vibration of decking structures under forced vibration of passing trains

This paper presents preliminary results of vibration monitoring of a railway bridge located in the Sergeli district of Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The study focuses on evaluating the dynamic behavior of load-bearing components under operational conditions. A sensor-based approach was employed to record and analyze vibration responses rather than traditional monitoring techniques. Field data were obtained using high-sensitivity accelerometers installed on the bridge girders and supports. In addition, a position transducer was installed to monitor the gap opening between the two beams at the top of the bridge. To measure the rail's deformation under dynamic loading, a strain gauge was installed directly next to one of the accelerometers. All sensors were integrated with a data acquisition system to ensure correlation between data collected by various sensors. The collected data were analyzed in the time domain and in the frequency domain to identify dominant vibration modes, natural frequencies, and possible irregularities. The results indicate clear vibration patterns associated with train-induced and ambient excitations, reflecting the bridge’s structural performance and stiffness distribution. Only a small portion of the results is discussed in this paper. This monitoring approach and its findings provide a foundation for developing a long-term structural health monitoring system and enhancing the safety of railway bridges operating in seismic and high-load regions.