Papers Published

1. Wilson, James F. and Barbas, Serghios T., DYNAMICS OF NEAR-OPTIMAL SPANS WITH MOVING LOADS., Journal of Advanced Transportation, vol. 16 no. 3 (1982), pp. 253 - 283 .
   (last updated on 2007/04/09)

   Abstract:
   This study focuses on continuous, uniform, beam-type spans designed for balanced static stresses and for minimal vibration amplitudes imparted to the transit vehicles. It predicts optimal pier spacing ratios for span geometries ranging from two to nine interior supports. Using Bernoulli-Euler theory, it calculates nondimensional dynamic responses for these nonperiodic spans, subject to single and tandem vehicle loading, and validates these results with extensive laboratory-scale experiments. The findings are that the choice of optimal, continuous span configurations, instead of a series of simple spans of the same total length and stiffness, leads to two important results: a possible 20 to 30 percent reduction in peak dynamic span moment, and a possible 30 to 100 percent reduction in the vertical rms span deflection imparted to the transit vehicle. Results are applicable to the design of dynamically efficient spans which afford high degrees of passenger ride comfort.

   Keywords:
   STRUCTURAL DESIGN - Vibrations;STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS - Dynamic Response;