Numerical simulation of vehicle motion along two span bridge structure

Solution of the problems of vehicle bridge interact ion belongs to the oldest solved problems of structural dynamics. The works of the c ivil engineer R. Willis [1] and mathematician G. G. Stoks [2] in which they tried t o clarify the breakdown of Chester Rail Bridge in England in 1847 are not only considered t he first attempts to solve the problems of vehicle runway interaction but also the first wo rks in the field of structural dynamics. Slovak and Czech Republic are world-known by the hi gh level of bridge engineering and theoretical approach to the solution of dynamical p roblems of bridges. Basic knowledge dedicated to the dynamic investigation of railway a nd highway bridges was published in monographs [3], [4]. Numerical methods offer an eff ective tool for the solution of this problem. Contemporary state of computing technique enables to solve all the problems in real time. The results obtained from numerical anal yses are used in the process of the design of optimal parameters of bridges with respec t to its lifetime and reliability.