Wave propagation analysis for three typical box girders: Dominant wave modes and their applications

Because of the prevalent application of bridges in transportation, problems such as vibration and noise of bridges, especially in densely populated urban areas, are increasingly arousing concerns. The vibro-acoustic behaviors of bridges are important for vibration and noise control. Although these vibro-acoustic behaviors have been reported and discussed in several studies in terms of modal analysis, this study focuses on the probe into the vibration properties of three typical box girders (BGs) from the wave motion perspective: concrete, steel–concrete composite, and steel BGs. The dispersion characteristics and mode shapes of waves propagating in BGs are identified using the wave finite element method (WFEM). This calculation method combines the finite element method (FEM) with the Bloch–Floquet theorem, and it is validated by the existing literature and FEM. The wave propagation characteristics of the three typical BGs are then compared to analyze their similarities and differences in vibration. Furthermore, the contribution of each wave mode to the whole vibration and the local vibration of BGs is determined; consequently, the important vibration mechanism can be identified and ranked in different frequency bands. Lastly, some feasible application of vibration control for BGs is given in the light of the vibration mechanism. The study results provide theoretical and practicable foundation of vibration control for BG bridges in urban rail trafficsystems