The dynamic amplification factor of the bridges in Latvia

Abstract

The paper presents a study of the dynamic amplification factors (DAF) obtained from the results of the dynamic load tests of bridges carried out from 1990 untill 2012 in Latvia. The study of the DAF was carried out for bridges designed according to the Eurocodes and previous Structural Codes used in Latvia. The dynamic properties of the bridges were obtained by loaded lorries passing the bridge roadway with different speeds and with or without road bumps. The obtained values of the DAF were analysed and compared to the values of the built-in traffic load models provided in the Eurocode 1. The actual DAF values for even bridge deck surface in most cases were smaller than the values adopted in the Eurocode 1. For bridges designed according to the Eurocodes and older Structural Codes the values of the DAF were similar. © 2013 The Authors.