Analysis of horizontal reactions due to moving vehicle loads in curved bridges with varied support conditions

A curved bridge can have two different bearing directions: chordal and tangential direction. This may bring differences of load distribution due to moving vehicles and structural behavior of a curved bridge. This study presents a 3D numerical model that can demonstrate the dynamic responses of a curved bridge to moving vehicles more precisely. The dynamic response induced by the centrifugal rolling motion of a vehicle is identified according to the variations of the superelevation and the radius of curvature of the deck. Dynamic characteristics of the curved bridge with the moving vehicle are analyzed under the condition of the support types and two different support systems. In general, while the vehicle is passing over the curved bridge, the negative reaction occurs in the inside of the girder. The final result shows that the support system located outside the girder is more advantageous than other systems, and the characteristics of load distributions differ from the others in the various conditions of support systems.