Finite-Element and Simplified Models for Collision Simulation between Overheight Trucks and Bridge Superstructures

Accidental collisions between overheight trucks and bridge superstructures have occurred frequently in recent years. These collisions dramatically affect the safety of bridge structures and traffic systems in metropolitan areas. Frequent collision-induced bridge damages have highlighted the importance of scientific research in this field. In this study, considering the inherent difficulties of full-scale laboratory testing, the FEM is used to simulate the collision procedure. The finite-element (FE) results indicate that collisions between overheight trucks and bridge superstructures induce two types of failure modes, global damage and local damage, which need to be incorporated into bridge design guidelines. The numerical results also reveal that the collision forces are mainly influenced by the parameters associated with overheight trucks. To reduce computational costs and facilitate engineering application, a simplified model for calculating the collision forces is also proposed. The predictions of the simplified model, although slightly conservative, are in good agreement with the FE results.