Date: Friday, 16th of October, 2020
Track: Structural Engineering
Topic: Structural dynamic response of the Glass Truss Bridge
Description: Bridges are exposed to dynamic forces – such as pedestrians crossing a bridge or the wind force acting on a bridge – which causes vibration of the structure. When a structure is forced at one of its eigenfrequencies it deforms into a corresponding shape, which, in the worst-case scenario, can lead to collapse of the structure, as happened to the Tacoma Narrows bridge in 1940. It is thus very important to know the dynamic characteristics of a structure. This thesis aims to predict the structural response of TU Delft’s Glass Truss Bridge when subjected to static and dynamic loads. The studied bridge is a footbridge, connecting the TU Delft campus to the Green Village, and is unique in the aspect that glass diagonals have been used in its construction. Through an iterative procedure of modeling, virtual testing, and updating the model of the bridge, the dynamic response of the bridge is predicted.
