Stress Measurement and FEM Simulation of a Steel Girder Viaduct

Urban highway networks typically rely on a large number of aged viaducts needing an efficient and effective maintenance. Though their numerical models exist, the level of accuracy has not been clear in terms of secondary member stress induced by traffic loading. In this paper, dynamic stress responses of a steel girder viaduct subjected to truck loading is investigated through field tests and numerical simulations. The strain responses are recorded when a truck with known weight passes the bridge. The validity of the measurements is first confirmed. Then a bridge-vehicle interaction numerical analysis is performed. The secondary member stress analysis shows that the stresses are sensitive to parameters such as the drive path and mesh size. The calibrated model reproduces the measurement with the accuracy of about 20 % and indicates that the pavement condition indeed affects the dynamic stress levels.