Dynamic performance of a vehicular bridge with lightweight FRP composite structural elements

Abstract

The lightweight nature and low stiffness of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) structures combined with low material damping may lead to excessive structural vibration and may increase the dynamic amplification of deformations and stresses in FRP bridge structures. The paper provides a short review on dynamic characterization of existing vehicular bridge superstructures madeof FRP structural components. Against the backdrop of a worldwide review the paper presents a field study on the dynamic characteristics of the hybrid FRP – concrete bridge superstructure recently built in Poland. The dynamic amplification factor, the first natural frequencyand the damping ratio were experimentally determined in static and dynamic load tests and compared with the relevant codes and requirements. The paper concludes by summarizing challenges related to structural dynamics of bridge superstructures with FRP structural components.