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D T L C - S B: Ynamic Ests On Arge Able Tayed Ridge by A. Cunha, E. Caetano, and R. Delgado
D T L C - S B: Ynamic Ests On Arge Able Tayed Ridge by A. Cunha, E. Caetano, and R. Delgado
ABSTRACT: This paper describes the dynamic tests performed on a large cable-stayed bridge, Vasco da Gama
Bridge, on the basis of a nonconventional testing system, comprehending several independent accelerographs
conveniently synchronized by a laptop, as well as a laser interferometry system for noncontact dynamic mea-
surements in stay cables. This system showed to be rather portable, efficient, and accurate, leading to the creation
of a very large high quality database concerning the dynamic behavior of the bridge. Subsequent processing of
the data permitted accurate identification of all the significant modal parameters of interest from the aerodynamic
and seismic point of view and presented a very good correlation with the corresponding values provided by the
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FIG. 5. NCPSD Spectra (Amplitude) of Half-Sum Signal of (a) Vertical Acceleration and (b) Transversal Acceleration at Sections 10
and 16, with Corresponding Coherences
of an appropriate reference section; (2) an ambient vibration in rock-bags. Due to the relatively low level of signal captured,
test to identify global natural frequencies and mode shapes of appropriate amplification factors were used, leading to a pre-
the bridge, measuring the structural response at 58 different cision superior to 0.015 mg (1 g/216), in consequence of the
points along the deck and towers; (3) the performance of re- use of 16 bit A/D converters. With the purpose of increasing
sponse measurements during the passage of heavy trucks, the signal level in the vertical component, vibration measure-
passing over a hood plank, to increase the vertical accelera- ments were also carried out during the passage of a heavy
tions; (4) a free vibration test, based on the sudden release of truck, with a mass of 30 t, over a hood plank, 4 cm high,
a 60 t mass eccentrically suspended from the deck, in order placed at 1/3 span. It is worth emphasizing that the measure-
to accurately identify modal damping factors; (5) dynamic ment system used proved to be quite practical and efficient,
measurements on stay cables in order to identify either global permitting the development of the whole ambient vibration test
natural frequencies of the whole structure or local frequencies in 2.5 days, avoiding completely the necessity of using long
of the stay cables, using both conventional piezoelectric ac- electric cables connecting the 18 force balanced accelerome-
celerometers and an interferometry laser sensor; and (6) ex- ters to a conventional central data acquisition and processing
perimental evaluation of dynamic amplification factors (DAFs) system. The experimental data obtained were periodically
associated with the passage of heavy traffic at different speeds downloaded to the hard disk of a laptop and subsequently an-
and along several lanes. alyzed and processed in order to extract global modal param-
eters of the bridge. It is noteworthy that, although most of the
AMBIENT VIBRATION TEST
TABLE 1. Identified and Calculated Natural Frequencies
The ambient vibration test was developed performing vi-
bration measurements with six independent triaxial accelero- Calculated
graphs, two of them being permanently installed at a given frequencies Identified frequencies Type of mode
reference cross section (section 10, 1/3 span north), while the (Hz) (Hz) of vibration
others were successively placed at 28 different mobile sections (1) (2) (3)
along the deck and towers (Fig. 3). In all sections, the pairs 0.2624 0.298 1st transversal bending
of sensors were located laterally, upstream, and downstream, 0.3185 0.341 1st vertical bending
always oriented according to the orthogonal referential xx (lon- 0.4287 0.437 2nd vertical bending
gitudinal direction), yy (transversal), and zz (vertical). These 0.4386 0.471 1st torsion ⫹ transversal
accelerographs were appropriately programmed before each bending
0.6268 0.572a/0.590a/0.599a/ 2nd torsion ⫹ transversal
sequence of measurements, in order to begin the acquisition 0.619a/0.624a bending
simultaneously every 20 minutes, in principle. Taking into 0.6077 0.651 3rd vertical bending
account the very low frequency range of interest (0–1 Hz), 0.6268 0.693a/0.707a/0.718a/0.755a 2nd torsion ⫹ transversal
the time of acquisition for each setup was always 16 minutes, bending
with a sampling frequency of 50 Hz, so as to obtain average 0.7600 0.817a 4th vertical bending
spectral estimates with a frequency resolution inferior to 0.01 –b 0.895a/0.917a 3rd torsion
–b 0.985 5th vertical bending
Hz. The time left to change the position of the accelerographs –b 1.129a 4th vertical bending
between successive setups was 4 minutes, except in the case a
Multiple modes, low signal level.
of measurements along the towers, due to the necessity of b
Unknown.
climbing the stairs to the top, transporting the accelerographs
56 / JOURNAL OF BRIDGE ENGINEERING / JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2001
relating the ambient response at the reference section (half- and downstream). In order to verify that the wind would not
sum and half-difference signals, upstream-downstream) with affect the accuracy of evaluation of the structural modal damp-
the response at the other measurement sections along the deck ing factors, introducing a component of aerodynamic damping,
and towers. The ratios between the values of those transfer the wind speed was permanently measured at midspan, con-
functions related to each natural frequency (linear magnitude) necting the anemometer to a spectral analyzer, the maximum
associated with the several sections led to the absolute value wind velocity not exceeding 2.5 m/s.
of the modal components, the corresponding signal having The identification of natural frequencies was then made on
been evaluated on the basis of the phase evolution. Fig. 6 the basis of the peaks of the fast Fourier transforms of the
shows some of the identified modal shapes of the deck, also acceleration time series (Figs. 8 and 9). Each one of these
presenting the corresponding numerical modes, as well as series (Fig. 10) was formed by 32,768 points sampled at 50
FIG. 7. Free Vibration Test: (a) Eccentrically Suspended 60 t Barge; (b) Starting Cut of Hanging Dywidag Bar; (c) Release of Barge
FIG. 8. Amplitude of FFT of Half-Sum Signal of Vertical Acceleration (Upstream-Downstream) at: (a) 1/3 Span North; (b) 1/2 Span
FIG. 9. Amplitude of FFT of Half-Difference Signal of Vertical Acceleration (Upstream-Downstream) at: (a) 1/3 Span North; (b) 1/2
Span
FIG. 11. Identification of Modal Damping Factor Associated with Natural Frequency 0.467 Hz: Analysis Based on Measured Re-
sponse at 1/2 Span Upstream
FIG. 12. Identification of Modal Parameters Using RFP Method: Measured and Synthesized Transfer Functions
peaks of the spectra in the range 0–1 Hz, are also apparent,
FIG. 13. Installation of Accelerometers on Stay Cables though not so clearly in the case of the laser sensor, as this
transducer measures the relative velocity between the deck and
the stay cable. The same conclusion can also be drawn when
comparing the natural frequencies identified using the laser
sensor with those obtained with conventional equipment in the
free vibration test (Fig. 16). In this last case, the peaks related
to global natural frequencies are still more evident, due to the
much higher level of global vibrations recorded during the free
vibration test.
The values of the first five natural frequencies of the stay
cable observed, identified on the basis of these spectra using
the two measurement systems referred, are virtually coincident
(0.594, 1.180, 1.766, 2.367, 2.953 Hz), the only difference
noted in one of the natural frequencies being equal to the fre-
quency resolution (0.0078 Hz).
CONCLUSIONS
The development of the dynamic tests described in this pa-
per permitted to extract the following main conclusions:
Cable Response
mate of natural frequencies and mode shapes, despite the APPENDIX. REFERENCES
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