Random vibration of a train traversing a bridge subjected to traveling seismic waves

Non-stationary random vibration of 3D time-dependent train–bridge systems subjected to multi-point earthquake excitations, including wave passage effect, is investigated using the pseudo-excitation method (PEM). The motion equation of such a system is established by coupling the train and bridge through wheel–rail contact relationships and accounting for the phase-lags between pier excitations. The horizontal and vertical earthquake excitations are both assumed to be uniformly modulated, fully coherent random excitations with different phases, while the excitation due to track irregularities is assumed to be a 3D, fully coherent random excitation with velocity-dependent time lags. PEM is first proven to be applicable to such time-dependent systems, and is then used to transform the random excitations into a series of deterministic pseudo excitations. By solving for the corresponding deterministic pseudo responses, various non-stationary random responses, including the time-dependent power spectral density functions (PSD) and standard deviations (SD), can be obtained easily. A case study is then presented in which the China-Star high-speed train traverses a seven-span continuous bridge that is being excited by an earthquake. The results show the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method by comparison with a Monte Carlo simulation. Additionally, the influences of seismic apparent wave velocity and train speed on the system random responses are discussed.

► We research 3D time-dependent train–bridge systems under earthquake excitations.
► We investigate non-stationary random vibration of train–bridge systems using PEM.
► Wheel–rail contact relationships and seismic wave passage effect are considered.
► The influences of wave velocity and train speed on random responses are discussed.