Simplified method to detect resonance effects in railway bridges. Viaduct over Aragón River and Almonte bridge application

Abstract

Detecting resonant effects in bridges has been studied for many years, but it has only been solved in a closed form for simple bridges. This article presents a simplified method that enables the calculation of resonance velocities in all types of bridges in an easy manner. The method is based on the concept of dynamic influence line and is validated through finite element models. These models range from simply supported bridges to complex real bridges such as the Almonte Viaduct, the world`s longest arch bridge of its typology. In the real bridge models, a dynamic analysis is performed according to the Eurocode to identify train velocities that induce resonant effects, and these velocities are checked against the simplified method with very good results.