An energy-based method for assessing the equivalent static force of a vehicle collision with bridge columns

Abstract

A new method is proposed to obtain the equivalent static forces of a vehicle collision with bridge columns. The method is based on energy-conservation and, conversely to other existing methods, does not require the use of complex models or experimental data to obtain time histories of impact. A simplified numerical model is also developed to generate data and compare the performance of the energy-conservation method against three other approaches (global average, local average, and equivalent displacement methods) and the AASHTO allowances. The simplified model is efficient and correctly captures the response for different impact velocities and column sizes. The impact velocity was shown to be positively related to the impact force and column displacement, and the size of the column is also positively related to the impact force but negatively with the column displacement. Results of equivalent static forces show that the global average and local average methods may not provide acceptable values for the equivalent impact force from the collision of vehicles with bridge columns, whereas the equivalent displacement and the proposed energy-based method provide adequate values. The latter approach, however, has the advantage of simplicity and convenience since it does not rely on any numerical/experimental model.

Keywords:

• Bridge columns
• energy distribution
• equivalent static force
• impact response
• simplified model
• vehicle collision

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge the financial support received from the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (Grant No. 30920021154), and the "Six-Talent Peaks" Project of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. 2019-JZ-013). The last author also acknowledges the Sydney Research Accelerator (SOAR) program of The University of Sydney in support of mid-career researchers.