Nonlinear dynamic analysis for coupled vehicle-bridge vibration system on nonlinear foundation

In this paper, the nonlinear dynamics of a parametrically excited coupled vehicle-bridge vibration system (CVBVS) is investigated, and the coupled system is subjected to a time-dependent transverse load including a constant value together with a harmonic time-variant component. The dynamic equations of the CVBVS are established by using the generalized Lagrange's equation. With the Galerkin truncation method, a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations are derived by discretizing the continuous governing equation. The influences of parametric excitation with nonlinear support stiffness, mass ratio, excitation amplitude and position relation on the dynamic behaviors are studied for the interaction between vehicle and the bridge. The analysis results indicate that the nonlinear dynamic characteristics are strongly attributed to the interaction of the coupled system. Nonlinear support stiffness of foundation and mass ratio can lead to complex dynamic behaviors such as jump discontinuous phenomenon, periodic, quasi-periodic and chaotic motions. Vibration amplitude increases depending on the position, where the maximum vibration displacement does not occur at the center of the bridge. The excitation amplitude has an obvious influence on the nonlinear dynamic behaviors and the increase of the excitation amplitude makes the vibration strengthen. The bifurcation diagram and 3-D frequency spectrum are used to analyze the complex nonlinear dynamic behaviors of the CVBVS. The presented results can provide an insight to the understanding of the vibration characteristics of the coupled vehicle-bridge vibration system in engineering.