Determination of Dynamic Amplification Factor in Bridges Using Simple Analytical Models

The accurate determination of dynamic load effects is crucial for designing and assessing bridges, especially considering the increasing number of deteriorating bridges and ongoing construction projects. These effects are integrated into design through the Dynamic Amplification Factor (DAF), a ratio of the structure's dynamic response to its static response. DAF is influenced by various factors, including bridge length, road profile, traffic density, and vehicle-bridge interaction. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the available DAF models for bridges. While previous studies have focused on complex models to determine DAF accurately, this paper explores simple analytical models and assesses their applicability. Based on that, one of the selected simple models is then utilized to evaluate its comparability with dynamic load test results. The analysis demonstrates comparable results, suggesting that simple analytical models could provide valuable insights into the dynamic amplification of traffic loads on bridges. However, the performance of such simple models needs to be enhanced by incorporating additional bridge parameters, such as road surface irregularities and vehicle-specific factors like axle hop or body bounce frequencies.