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Materials Today: Proceedings 00 (2019) 0000–0000 www.materialstoday.com/proceedings

DAS35

Dynamic test of a bridge over the Danube - Black Sea Channel at

Agigea
Cristian Lucian Ghindeaa,*, Radu Iuliu Cruciat a, Ionut Radu Racanel a
a
Technical University of Civil Engineering Bucharest, Department of Strength of Materials, Bridges and Tunnels, Lacul Tei Blvd 124, Sector 2,
Bucharest, Romania

Abstract

Taking into consideration the importance of a bridge structure from economic and social point of view, the experimental testing
of bridges before commissioning is mandatory for almost all the bridges. The analyzed bridge is a very important route for road
vehicles and pedestrians to overpass the Danube – Black Sea Channel near the Agigea Port. The paper presents the dynamic tests
of the bridge and the experimental results commented from two points of view. The results are related to the dynamic
characteristics of the bridge and to the comfort of the pedestrians subjected to the vibrations induced by road traffic.
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of 35th Danubia Adria Symposium on Advances in Experimental Mechanics.

Keywords: dynamic testing of bridges; pedestrians comfort; deck vibrations; modal analysis; damping ratio

1. Introduction

In order to obtain the dynamic response behavior of a bridge structure some modal analyzes are conducted in the
design stage, but the results have to be compared with the experimental response on the real structure. There are
some experimental methods available for the in situ dynamic testing of the bridges. In this paper there are presented
the experimental tests conducted accordingly with the Romanian standard STAS 12504-86 [1], using test vehicles
which induce dynamic excitations in the structure, as in other cases of dynamic bridge testing [2].
The experimental test presume that vertical accelerations of the deck are recorded in real time. The recorded
accelerograms are processed in order to obtain the frequencies content of the oscillations through power spectra

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +40-724-01-00-37.

E-mail address: cristian.ghindea@utcb.ro

2214-7853 © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selection and peer-review under responsibility of 35th Danubia Adria Symposium on Advances in Experimental Mechanics.
2 Author name / Materials Today: Proceedings 00 (2019) 0000–0000

graphs. In order to validate the experimental results, the frequency content is compared with the numerical results
from modal analysis of the bridge structure model.
Taking into account that the bridge is provided with walking decks, beside the structural response testing, the
recorded accelerograms were processed through frequency weighting method in order to establish the human
comfort responses. The results are compared with the comfort curves from ISO 2631-2 [3].

Nomenclature

T1 1st natural vibration period

f1 1st natural vibration frequency
n the number of the main oscillation amplitudes considered for the description of the logarithmic decrement
u the acceleration amplitude
 the free vibration logarithmic decrement
 the critical damping ratio

1.1. Bridge description

The Agigea bridge, km 0 + 540, provides the connection between the North and South of the Constanta South –
Agigea Port, separated by the Danube - Black Sea Channel. It consists from two viaducts and the main bridge,
which provides the over-passage of the channel. This is a cable-stayed bridge with a total length of the
superstructure of 362 m. The superstructure has three spans, 80 m, 200 m and 80 m, respectively.
The deck has a hybrid structure, consisting in part of prestressed concrete in the lateral spans and steel beams
with RC slab on the rest of the bridge superstructure. In Fig. 1 is presented the general view of the main bridge.

Fig. 1. The bridge over the Danube - Black Sea Channel at Agigea.

2. Materials and methods

The vertical accelerations of the bridge deck were recorded in two positions along the principal span of the
bridge, on both sides of the bridge. The position of the measuring stations and of the accelerometers is depicted in
Fig. 2.
For the dynamic excitation of the bridge in the experimental tests two loaded trucks were used. The vehicles have
been running at a constant speed on the bridge, passing a wooden obstacle positioned in the middle of the main
opening. Five speed stages were used for this test, 10 km/h, 20 km/h, 30 km/h, 40 km/h and 50 km/h.
 Author name / Materials Today: Proceedings 00 (2019) 0000–0000 3

Station 1 Station 2
Left bank Right bank

80.00 200.00/2 200.00/4 200.00/4 80.00

Downstream
Wooden plank
Acc7753 obstacle
Left bank

Acc7751
Station 2
Station 1
Upstream
80.00 200.00/2 200.00/4 200.00/4

Fig. 2. The cable-stayed bridge diagram and the location of the measuring stations and accelerometers.

Fig. 3. (a) Loaded trucks during the dynamic test; (b) Axle load of the test trucks.

The loading of the bridge deck was made accordingly with the Romanian standard STAS 12504-86 [1] with two
loaded trucks, presented in Fig. 3.a. The average total weight of one truck was around 32 tons, as depicted in Fig.
3.b.

Fig. 4. Accelerometers mounting in station 1: (A) mounting on the downstream side of the deck, (B) mounting on the upstream side of the deck.
4 Author name / Materials Today: Proceedings 00 (2019) 0000–0000

The measurement of the deck vertical accelerations was made using 1D capacitive accelerometers mounted on
the driveway, near the sidewalk in the upstream of the bridge and in the downstream, also. In order to depict the
mounting of the accelerometers and the digital measurement data acquisition system see Fig. 4.
The main principles of the recorded data processing from the dynamic properties point of view and the human
comfort response are presented in the technical literature [4, 5].
Taking into account the sensitivity of the measuring equipment and inherent forced vibration existence in the
experimental records caused by the running test trucks, the post processing of the experimental data is made with
two methods. The frequency content of the bridge oscillations is obtained by a computer assisted post-processing,
through the power spectra of the acceleration records. The time history of the vertical accelerations is considered as
a general free vibration from which one can determine the dynamic characteristics of the 1st natural vibration mode
of the bridge deck and the damping characteristics, also.
The manual processing of the acceleration record allows the calculation of the following dynamic characteristics
[6]:
 1st natural vibration period, T1 , considered the averaged time required for a full oscillation, measured in seconds;
 1st natural vibration frequency

1
f1   Hz  (1)
T1

 the free vibration logarithmic decrement, determined for the main oscillations of the bridge deck

1  u1 
  ln   (2)
n  u1 n 

 the critical damping ratio


 (3)
4 2   2

The testing procedure was divided into tests accordingly with the objective of the study and the positions of
measurement stations. For the deck behavior two tests were considered accordingly with the measurement stations
described in Fig. 2. For the 1st test the measurement points were located in station 1, in the middle cross-section of
the principal span. For the 2nd test the measurement points were located in station 2, at a quarter of the principal
span. As previously stated, in both test, the wooden obstacle was located in the middle cross-section of the principal
span.

Table 1. Classification of the experimental testing of the bridge.

Objective Test Obstacle position Trucks speed
Deck behavior I 1/2 of the central span 10 km/h 20 km/h 30 km/h 40 km/h 50 km/h

II 1/2 of the central span 10 km/h 20 km/h 30 km/h 40 km/h 50 km/h

3. Experimental results

3.1. The identification of the dynamic characteristics of the bridge deck

In order to depict a response of the bridge at the experimental excitation, the recorded accelerations in the
upstream side of the bridge are presented in Fig. 5, those being measured in station 1 and station 2. The power
spectra graphs are depicted in Fig. 6, also.
 Author name / Materials Today: Proceedings 00 (2019) 0000–0000 5

Fig. 5. Vertical accelerations record: (a) measured in station 1, for the trucks speed of 50 km/h, (b) measured in station 2, for the trucks speed of
40 km/h.

Fig. 6. Power spectra graphs for the records: (a) measured in station 1, for the trucks speed of 50 km/h, (b) measured in station 2, for the trucks
speed of 40 km/h.

The dynamic behavior of the tested structure can’t be correctly observed and commented without a proper
comparison with a numerical model of the structure. Therefore, the FEM model was provided by the designer of the
bridge and some analysis were made accordingly with the test parameters. From the numerical modal analysis of the
bridge, there were extracted the modal shapes with a modal participating ratio for vertical translations different from
null. For this, the bridge was loaded only from the self-weight and the test trucks. The main vertical mode was
considered the 18th mode obtained from the modal analysis with a natural frequency equal with 2.98 Hz. The modal
participating mass ratio for this mode was 32.62% and the modal shape is depicted in Fig. 7. In table 2, one can
observe the correspondence between the frequency content of the recorded accelerograms clustered in different
frequency bandwidths and the natural frequencies obtained from the modal analysis.

Fig. 7. FEM numerical analysis. The modal shape for the 18th mode ( f18  2.98 Hz )
6 Author name / Materials Today: Proceedings 00 (2019) 0000–0000

Table 2. Frequency content comparison.

Vibration Modal analysis Vibration frequencies [Hz] / test
frequencies Test 1 / Measurement point / Testing speed [km/h]
[Hz] Natural vibration Modal shape / Modal Point 1 – Acc. 7751 (upstream) Point 2 – Acc. 7753 (downstream)
frequencies [Hz] participating mass ratio 10 20 30 40 50 10 20 30 40 50
0.1 ÷ 1 Hz 0.63 2 / 0.52% - - - 0.56 0.56 - - 0.56 0.56 0.56
1 ÷ 2 Hz 1.65 11 / 3.80% 1.81 1.81 1.20 1.81 1.83 1.81 1.78 1.20 1.81 1.81
1.71 12 / 1.43% 1.83 1.81 1.83 1.86 1.83 1.81 1.81 1.83 1.86
1.83 1.86 1.86 1.83 1.86
1.86 1.86
2 ÷ 3 Hz 2.52 14 / 0.77% 2.15 2.54 2.95 2.64 2.64 2.71 2.66 2.95 2.64 2.64
2.63 15 / 9.32% 2.66 2.98 2.98 2.95 2.98 2.98
2.74 16 / 6.54% 2.95 3.00 3.00
2.82 17 / 0.44%
2.94 18 / 32.62%
3 ÷ 4 Hz 3.05 19 / 0.20% 3.47 3.42 3.44 3.42 342 3.47 3.03 3.52 3.42 3.42
3.13 20 / 0.14% 3.47 3.47 3.44 3.47 3.42 3.44 3.47
3.20 21 / 7.56% 3.47 3.49 3.47 3.47
3.31 22 / 0.82%
3.92 25 / 2.32%
4 ÷ 6 Hz 4.06 27 / 5.54% 4.08 4.08 4.13 5.18 4.35 4.08 4.08 4.10 5.18 4.35
4.10 28 / 0.47% 4.39 4.35 4.37 4.35 4.37
4.17 29 / 1.07% 4.37 4.42 4.37 5.20
4.26 30 / 0.11% 5.18
4.32 31 / 3.29%
4.40 32 / 9.09%
5.29 36 / 0.47%
5.33 37 / 0.11%
5.38 38 / 0.29%
6 ÷ 8 Hz 6.14 44 / 0.11% - 6.59 6.62 7.08 - - 6.59 6.57 7.15 -
6.47 46 / 1.23% 7.10 6.67 7.13 7.25
7.38 51 / 0.23% 7.13
8 ÷ 10 Hz 8.33 55 / 0.29% - - - - - - - 8.64 - -
9.72 59 / 0.28%
10 ÷ 12 Hz - 10.13 10.08 10.06 10.11 - 10.13 10.08 10.08 10.13
10.50 10.52 10.08 10.47 10.47 10.16 10.14 10.50
10.52 10.52 10.52 10.52 10.52 10.16 10.52
10.57 10.60
12 ÷ 15 Hz 13.46 66 / 0.33% - 14.23 13.84 12.21 12.26 - 14.18 14.18 12.21 12.26
14.96 67 / 0.10% 14.28 14.26 13.92 14.09 13.96
14.31

From the manual post processing of the recorded accelerograms a 4.81% average critical damping ratio and a
1.86 m/s2 peak vertical acceleration were obtained. The maximum vertical acceleration was reached at test 1, in the
upstream measurement point from station 1 when the trucks were running with a 50 km/h speed.

3.2. 4.2 The dynamic behavior of the bridge from human comfort point of view

Typically, structural vibrations affect human perception and comfort based on their frequency content. As
previously stated the processing of the acceleration records were analyzed accordingly with the specification from
the ISO 2631-2 code [2]. After the frequency decomposition of the accelerogram accordingly with the 1/3 octave
spectra, the recorded accelerogram were processed through the frequency weighting method. The weighting process
of the accelerograms was made taking into the consideration the Wm coefficient which it is a whole-body in
buildings filter coefficient for vertical whole-body vibration. Because of the fact that the maximum bridge response
was obtained from the records measured in station 1, in the upstream position, for this analysis only the
accelerograms recorded in test 1, in the already mentioned position were processed. Some examples of the
acceleration weighting can be observed in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9.
 Author name / Materials Today: Proceedings 00 (2019) 0000–0000 7

a b 0.30
Vertical acceleration [m/s2]

Acceleratia verticala
0.20

ponderata [m/s22]]
Weighted vertical 
acceleration [m/s
0.10
0.00
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
-0.10
-0.20
-0.30
Time [s] Time [s]
Timp [s]
-0.40

Fig. 8. Accelerogram processing from the human comfort point of view: (a) the recorded accelerogram for a 10 km/h trucks speed, (b) the
weighted accelerogram
Vertical acceleration [m/s2]

a b 0.80
0.60

Acceleratia verticala
ponderata [m/s22]]
Weighted vertical 
acceleration [m/s
0.40
0.20
0.00
-0.20 0 5 10 15 20 25 30

-0.40
-0.60
Time [s]
Timp [s]
Time [s] -0.80

Fig. 9. Accelerogram processing from the human comfort point of view: (a) the recorded accelerogram for a 50 km/h trucks speed, (b) the
weighted accelerogram

2.92
Activitati
Rhytmic ritmice
Activities,
Pasarele in aer liber
Outdoor Footbridges
0.97
[m/s2]
[m/s2]

0.32
maxima

Pasarele interioare
Indoor Footbridges
acceleration

0.11
Acceleratia

0.04
Peak

ISO Baseline Curve

Curba de baza ISO
for RMSacceleratii
pentru Acceleration
RMS
0.01

0.00
1 5 25
Frecquency [Hz]
Curba de bazaCurve
ISO Baseline ISO pentru acceleratii
for RMS RMS
Acceleration Pasarele
Outdoor inFootbridges
aer liber
(10km/h)
(10 km/h) (20 km/h)
(20km/h)
(30 km/h)
(30km/h) (40km/h)
(40 km/h)
(50 km/h)
(50km/h)
Frequency [Hz]

Fig. 10. The peak acceleration comparison with ISO curves

8 Author name / Materials Today: Proceedings 00 (2019) 0000–0000

For a human standing on the walkway of the bridge, one can observe in Fig. 10 that the behavior of the bridge at
traffic-like excitations is almost acceptable, with some slight exceeding of the threshold for 30 and 50 km/h.

4. Conclusions

The frequency content of the recorded accelerograms shows that the dynamic characteristics of the real bridge are
near the values determined from numerical analysis. One aspect of this conclusion is that the numerical model used
in the bridge design is correct and the real bridge has a behavior as provided by its design. The most part of the
damping properties of the deck is related to the RC slab as one can observe from the average experimental damping
ratio of 4.81%. The maximum recorded acceleration was 1.86 m/s2 which it is in the threshold accepted for bridges,
between 0.30g and 0.4g (around 3.50 m/s2).
Extrapolating the fact that the vibrations induced by the test trucks passing over the wooden obstacle are similar
with the real vehicle induced vibration on the bridge, the behavior of the bridge can be considered acceptable from
human comfort point of view. Because the main purpose of the bridge is a road bridge, one can neglect the slight
exceeding of the threshold and the behavior of the bridge is consistent with an outdoor footbridge.

References

[1] STAS 2504-86, Railway bridges, viaducts and walkways. Testing of superstructures with test actions, Bucharest, IRS, 1986
[2] C. Chiotan, M. Predescu, 17th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2017 17(14) (2017) 269-276
[3] ISO 2631-2:1989, Mechanical vibration and shock - Evaluation of human exposure to whole-body vibration - Part 2: Vibration in buildings (1
Hz to 80 Hz), Geneva, 1989
[4] C.L. Ghindea, I.R. Racanel, R.I. Cruciat, Romanian Journal of Transport Infrastructure 6(1) (2017) 15-29
[5] C.L. Ghindea, I.R. Racanel, R.I. Cruciat, Key Eng. Mat. 601 (2014) 207-210
[6] A. K. Chopra, Dynamics of Structures, third ed., Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 2006