Comparative study of modal analysis techniques for bridge dynamic characteristics

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a comparative study of various techniques for evaluating bridge dynamic properties from experimental data. The paper presents a review and synthesis of the work presented in a developed session of the International Modal Analysis Conference of February 2001. Research teams all over the world were invited to participate on a study to compare modal analysis techniques for evaluating the dynamic characteristics of bridges from forced, free and ambient vibration data. The Z24-Bridge, a three-span reinforced concrete bridge in Switzerland, was selected as a case study. The two objectives of the exercise were to compare the modal analysis techniques that are usually employed in the laboratories of the participants and to compare results from typical excitation techniques for large civil engineering structures. A total of six research teams accepted the challenge. The system identification methods that they used ranged from the basic peak-picking method to the advanced subspace identification method. All teams compared at least two excitation types. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.