Comparison of Measured and Simulated Traffic Loading based on BWIM Data from the Millau Viaduct

Marcel Nowak, Franziska Schmidt, Oliver Fischer

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Traffic load modeling on road bridges requires detailed information of both the actual traffic load impact and the resulting structural responses. Reviewing common approaches on the topic, two different principal strategies can be identified: direct analysis of sufficiently detailed measurement data—either records of the passing road traffic or the resulting structural response for the structure under investigation—, or evaluation of synthetic traffic generated by numerical traffic simulation based on statistical data representing the traffic characteristics at site. Ideally, both methods can be combined by calibrating a numerical simulation model by means of detailed measurement data (e.g. WIM or BWIM data), thus reducing the uncertainty in the numerical model while maintaining its high flexibility (e.g. evaluation of different structures or different traffic scenarios). Therefore, it is essential to identify those relevant aspects within a certain traffic record actually governing the part of bridge loading relevant for structural design and reassessment (i.e. extreme values of load effects), and accurately represent them in the numerical simulation model. With an extensive and detailed traffic data record at hand, covering a period of 180 days of BWIM measurements at the Millau Viaduct in Southern France, this study performs a comparison of traffic loading resulting from the recorded traffic stream directly and from traffic generated by numerical simulation. The comparison is performed for a set of different load effects and bridge lengths on different levels, regarding governing traffic characteristics and extreme values of resulting load effects. Based on the findings from this comparison, suggestions for appropriate modeling using numerical traffic simulations can be proposed.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication18th International Probabilistic Workshop, IPW 2020
EditorsJosé C. Matos, Paulo B. Lourenço, Daniel V. Oliveira, Jorge Branco, Dirk Proske, Rui A. Silva, Hélder S. Sousa
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media Deutschland GmbH
Pages219-235
Number of pages17
ISBN (Print)9783030736156
DOIs
StatePublished - 2021
Event18th International Probabilistic Workshop, IPW 2020 - Virtual, Online
Duration: 12 May 202114 May 2021

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Civil Engineering
Volume153 LNCE
ISSN (Print)2366-2557
ISSN (Electronic)2366-2565

Conference

Conference18th International Probabilistic Workshop, IPW 2020
CityVirtual, Online
Period12/05/2114/05/21

Keywords

  • Bridge loading
  • Bridge weigh-in-motion
  • Extreme load effects
  • Millau Viaduct
  • Traffic simulation

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