Dynamic testing of a modern concrete bridge

Abstract
A posttensioned reinforced concrete bridge, slated for demolition, was tested to obtain its dynamic properties. The 10 year old bridge consisted of a continuous flat slab deck of variable thickness having a total width of 103 ft (31.39 m) and spans of 28 ft 6 in. (8.69 m), 71 ft 0 in. (21.64 m), and 42 ft 6 in. (12.95 m). The entire bridge was skewed 10°50′ and the deck was slightly curved in plan.The mode shapes, natural frequencies, and damping ratios for the lowest five natural modes of vibration were determined using sinusoidal forcing functions from an electrohydraulic shaker. These modes, located at 5.7, 6.4, 8.7, 12.0, and 17.4 Hz, were found to be highly dependent on the lateral properties of the bridge deck. Damping ratios were determined from the widths of resonance peaks. The modal properties from the steady state excitation were compared with those obtained from measurements of traffic-induced vibrations and good agreement was found between the two methods.

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