2015 Volume 61A Pages 119-130
The objective of this paper is to evaluate the dynamic response and distortion-stress in curved multi-girder bridges for transverse vehicle position, curvature and skew angle. To perform the numerical investigation, a three-dimensional bridge-vehicle-interaction approach consists of spaced bridge-vehicle structure and contact model is proposed using commercial ANSYS code. Inertia and horizontal force, deck friction and road roughness are taken into account in the analysis. Highly reverse distortion-stress is found on exterior girder for transverse vehicle positions. The curvature and skew angle has a significant effect on differential deflection, distortion-stress and bearing force which depend on vehicle position. Distortion-stress and differential deflection do not show proportionality and current existing practice fails to predict the distortion-stress accurately in curved bridges.