Dynamic Response Analysis of a Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Reinforced Viaduct under Full Scale Moving Maglev Train Load

Abstract

Fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are widely utilized in the construction of bridges all over the world and are thought to be a potential alternative to steel reinforcement, particularly in concrete structures exposed to harsh conditions or the effects of electromagnetic fields. Although some FRP bridges have already been put into service and others are still being built, there is ongoing discussion in the civil engineering community over the efficacy of FRPs in substituting steel in vibration-prone bridge parts. This study adopts finite element modeling based on numerical and analytical approaches to investigate the dynamic behavior of the viaduct during maglev train operation when the steel-reinforced girder concrete is replaced by FRP-reinforced girder concrete. In this way, a realistic coupled maglev train–viaduct system is developed and validated by comparative analysis with data from field experiments. Then, an investigation of the viaduct dynamic behavior when the girder is reinforced with polyacrylic nitrile carbon FRP or S-glass FRP reveals that system displacement is governed by viaduct stiffness, whereas acceleration is governed by structure weight. Nonetheless, the dynamic load frequency has a considerable impact on the efficacy of FRP as viaduct concrete reinforcement, which has been demonstrated to be effective at particular train speeds dependent on the structure’s natural frequency.