Jie Wang

This work focuses on the dynamic analysis of road bridges under large microsimulated traffic flows, contributing an efficient dynamic analysis framework for future fatigue, comfort or driving safety studies in which realistic interactions between vehicles are considered. Different strategies to define the loading vector in the governing dynamic equations are presented for bridges discretized with beam and shell elements. The proposed interpolation techniques for beam-like models include a recursive binary search and a novel vectorized strategy based on shape functions expanded to the entire length of the deck. These are applied to a short simply supported bridge and a very long cable-stayed bridge under traffic flows generated with a cellular automata microsimulation model. The strategies presented here reduce the computational time required in conventional load interpolation algorithms, particularly in long bridges subject to dense traffic flows. Finally, the binary search algorithm is applied to the study of bridge decks discretized with shell elements under microsimulated traffic, demonstrating that high vehicle densities increase the contribution of the transverse vibration of the slab and the potential discomfort of pedestrians.

A comprehensive framework for the layout optimisation of rigid-jointed frame structures is proposed, addressing multiple mechanical constraints while effectively managing geometric complexity. The constraints considered include displacement, stress, and both local and global stability. Geometric complexity is controlled by minimising low-stiffness elements and reducing the number of elements in the resulting layouts. Numerical examples demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method, showcasing its ability to generate optimal structural layouts with desirable mechanical performance and varying levels of geometric complexity in member connectivity. This innovative optimisation framework offers significant advantages over conventional layout optimisation approaches by ensuring both the optimality and manufacturability of frame structures, thereby facilitating their practical application.