Bridge Analysis

The bridge analysis can be used to compute influence lines for traffic on bridge structures and to analyze these structures for the response resulting from vehicle live loads. The vehicle live loads can be combined with static and dynamic loads and envelopes of the response can be computed.

Displacements, spring forces and frame-element internal forces can be determined because of the influence of vehicle live loads. Other object types (area, solid and link) may be used; these contribute to the stiffness of the structure, but they are not analyzed for the effects of vehicle live loads.

Select vehicle live loads from a set of standard highway and railway vehicles, or create your own vehicle live loads.

The general process for completing bridge analysis is as follows:

  1. Create the bridge object

  2. Define a bridge live load pattern

  3. Define a moving load case

  4. Define a bridge response

  5. Display influence lines to review the model results.

See Also

Show Bridge Forces/Stresses