Experimental and numerical investigation of an existing railway bridge during train crossing

In this paper the dynamic parameters and the vibration response during train crossing of an inclined single span concrete plate bridge is experimentally and numerically investigated. In the numerical analyses different levels of detail of the numerical model are considered and the gained results of calculated natural frequencies and vibration responses during train crossing are compared and discussed. Within the experimental investigation of the bridge structure the forced vibration excitation method is applied to determine the real dynamic parameters and in addition measurements of the train crossing are performed to determine the time history of vibration response. The gained measurement results of natural frequencies and damping coefficients are used to calibrate the theoretical numerical models to the real behaviour and numerical calculations are repeated. The discrepancy of the measured vibration response and the calculated response in the numerical models during train crossing is analysed and valuated. The goal of this comparison is to determine signal analyses methods that have to be applied to the measured raw data in order to get a good agreement. Recommendations of necessary levels of detail of numerical models in dependence to the type of bridge structure are specified. In addition, recommendations for choosing the relevant natural frequencies that have to be identified within dynamic measurements of real bridge structures are indicated.