DAMPING OF HIGHWAY BRIDGES: A REVIEW

In studies of the damping behaviour of bridges one of the most important experimental aspects is the method of excitation. Methods reviewed include use of a vehicle driven across a plank, release of deflection, pulse loading by rockets, rotating massess, reciprocating weights, people jumping or pulling ropes, and analysis of wind induced movements. Measurements in the laboratory have shown that the values of intrinsic material damping range from logarithmic decrements of 0.002 to 0.009 for steel and 0.01 to 0.06 for concrete. Values for beams are 0.004 to 0.030 for steel and 0.02 to 0.06 for concrete. In all cases it was found that damping increases with amplitude of vibration by factors of up to 4 to 1. Measurements on bridges including recent work by the Laboratory reported in a companion paper, gave damping values of 0.02 to 0.06 for steel, 0.05 to 0.10 for composite and 0.02 to 0.10 for concrete bridges. /Author/

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Proceeding of a Symposium on Dynamic Behavior of Bridges at the Transport and Road Research Laboratory, Crowthorne, Berkshire, England, May 19, 1977.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)

  Wokingham, Berkshire  United Kingdom 

  University of Toronto

  Institute for Aerospace Studies, 4925 Dufferin Road
  Toronto, Ontario  Canada  M5S 1A1
• Authors:
  • TILLY, G P
• Conference:
  • Proceeding of a Symposium on Dynamic Behavior of Bridges at the Transport and Road Research Laboratory, Crowthorne, Berkshire, England, May 19, 1977.
• Publication Date: 1977-5-19

Media Info

• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 1-9

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Concrete bridges; Damping (Physics); Highway bridges; Measurement; Metal bridges; Steel bridges; Test procedures
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00172166
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: TRRL Rpt. 275 Proceeding
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 12 1978 12:00AM