Experimental dynamic evaluation of the guarda footbridge

• Author(s): Rebelo, Carlos ; Pircher, Martin ; Rigueiro, Constança ; Silva, Luís Simões da
• Date: 2008
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.11/1351
• Origin: Repositório Científico do Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco
• Subject(s): Steel; Footbridge; Dynamic; Lateral vibration; Measurements; Damping
• Document Type: Conference Object
• Language: English

Description

This paper deals with the methodologies used for footbridges design and their application to a steel footbridge built over a road junction in Guarda, Portugal. The complexity of the bridge behavior and the high uncertainty connected with the damping and natural frequencies estimation supported the decision to carry out vibration measurements included in the commissioning tests. A modal identification was performed and a FE model of the bridge was updated accordingly. Tests with pedestrians were also performed in order to gain as much information as possible towards the final decision to be made concerning the installation or not of the foreseen tuned mass dampers. Tests included continuous streaming of pedestrian groups with increasing size crossing the bridge in synchronized walking at various pace rates.