Dynamic response of bridges under travelling loads

In spite of a number of analytical and experimental investigations on the dynamic response of bridges to moving vehicle loads, the controlling parameters that govern the response have not been clearly identified. This has, in turn, inhibited the development of rational design procedures. Based on an analytical investigation of the response of a simplified beam model traversed by a moving mass, the present study identifies the governing parameters. The results clearly show why attempts to correlate the response to a single parameter, either the span length or the fundamental frequency, are unsuccessful. Simple design procedures are developed based on relationships between the speed ratio, the weight ratio, and the dynamic amplification factors; and a set of design curves are provided.