On the basic phenomenon of soil-structure interaction on the free vibration response of beams: Application to railway bridges

The dynamic transverse response of beam type bridges under railway traffic is addressed in this contribution. In particular, how soil-structure interaction may affect the critical or resonant velocities and the associated vibratory amplitudes is evaluated in detail. Resonance in beams, due to the circulation of equidistant loads, is highly influenced by the free vibration response that every single load leaves after traversing the structure. On this basis a numerical investigation is carried out analysing the effects of the wave propagation problem on the free vibration response of simply-supported beams in a wide range of travelling velocities. To this end a coupled three-dimensional boundary element-finite element model formulated in the time domain is used to reproduce the soil and structural behaviour, respectively. A catalogue of bridge deck typologies is defined, covering lengths, associated linear masses and fundamental frequencies that may experience high levels of transverse accelerations under resonant conditions, for nowadays existing trains and design velocities. Lengths ranging from 12.5 to 25 m are evaluated, along with fundamental frequencies covering most common typologies. A homogeneous soil is considered with shear wave velocities in the interval 150 to 365 m/s. From the single load free vibration parametric analysis conclusions are derived regarding the conditions of maximum free vibration and cancellation of the deck response. These conclusions are used afterwards to justify how resonant amplitudes of the bridge under the circulation of railway convoys may be affected by the soil properties, leading to substantially amplified responses or to almost imperceptible ones, and a numerical example is included to show the aforementioned situations.