A direct method for analyzing the vertical vehicle–structure interaction

A new method for the dynamic analysis of the vertical vehicle–structure interaction is presented. The vehicle and structure systems can be discretized with various types of finite elements and may have any degree of complexity. The equations of both systems are complemented with additional compatibility equations to ensure contact between the vehicles and the structure. The equations of motion and the compatibility equations form a single system that is solved directly, thus avoiding the iterative procedure used by other authors to satisfy the compatibility between the vehicle and structure. For large structural systems the proposed method is usually more efficient than those that frequently update and factorize the system matrix. Some numerical examples have shown that the proposed formulation is accurate and efficient.

► Vehicle–structure interaction in two- or three-dimensional problems.
► Contact between various types of finite elements.
► Vehicle and structure systems may have any degree of complexity.
► The accuracy and efficiency of the direct method is demonstrated and validated.
► Implementation in a finite element computer program has been straightforward.