Mathematical calculation of the damping value of steel railway bridges - part II: verification on the basis of existing bridges

摘要

The measurement of dynamic parameters of railway bridges (natural frequency and damping value) frequently reveals a significant discrepancy between measured damping values and normatively specified damping values. The EN 1991-2 stipulates conservative damping values for dynamic calculations, which are assessed as the lower limit of the damping values to be expected in reality and therefore lead to uneconomical results. Part 1 of this article introduces two predefined bridge models which allow determination of the damping value of railway bridges by calculation. These calculation models are thus verified by way of comparison with dynamic parameters obtained from 13 existing steel railway bridges. The comparison between calculation and measurement not only illustrates a considerable deviation between normatively prescribed and actually existing damping values. It also shows that the methods presented in Part 1 provide realistic results and effectively represent an evidence-based alternative to the technical standard. Finally, these new insights identify important potentials for minimising the discrepancy between measurement and calculation and thus establish a solid basis for realistic mathematical determination of the damping values.