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Assessment of Numerical Models for Live Load Distribution in a Road Slab Bridge



Author(s)

Janusz Hołowaty

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DOI:10.17265/1934-7332/2013.11.004

Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin 70-311, Poland

This paper presents comparison of numerical models used in an analysis of a road bridge deck. The models were adapted
for computing the live load distribution coefficients in composite concrete bridge deck. The load distribution method was chosen for assessment of the usability of different numerical model in slab bridge deck analysis. The goal of the study is to determine a simplest but still accurate numerical model to estimate live load effects on composite slab bridge. In the analysis, the well-established grillage approach was adapted for representation of the bridge deck as a basic model as well as more sophisticated three-dimensional models which was supposed to better represent the real behavior of the deck under concentrated wheel loads. The bridge deck was effectively modeled using beam and shell elements. The grillage method compares well with the finite-element method. This finding is allowed to establish simplification in numerical modeling of slab bridge decks for live load effect computations.

Numerical model, bridge live load, numerical modeling, grillage method, FE analysis.