Experimental Tests and Numerical Analyses for the Dynamic Characterization of a Steel and Wooden Cable-Stayed Footbridge

Vibrations are an issue of increasing importance in current footbridge design practice. More sophisticated footbridges with increasing spans and more effective construction materials result in lightweight structures and a high ratio of live load to dead load. As a result of this trend, many footbridges have become more susceptible to vibrations when subjected to dynamic loads. The most common dynamic loads on footbridges, other than wind loading, are pedestrian-induced footfall forces due to the movement of people. This paper concerns the experimental and numerical dynamic characterization of a newly built steel and wooden cable-stayed footbridge. The footbridge was dynamically tested in situ under ambient vibration, and the results allowed the real dynamic behavior of the footbridge to be captured. The dynamic response under pedestrian dynamic loads was also investigated and compared with the limitations provided by the main international codes and guidelines for footbridge serviceability assessment. A numerical model of the footbridge was also developed and updated based on the experimental outcomes. Then, the calibrated model was used to numerically assess the footbridge's serviceability following the guideline prescriptions for pedestrian load simulation, and the design accuracy was also validated. This paper aims to increase the state-of-the-art knowledge about footbridge dynamic testing so as to support the design of new and futuristic structures as well as prove the effectiveness of using the requirements of codes and guidelines for footbridge serviceability assessment by adopting a calibrated numerical model.