ABSTRACT
The continuous rigid frame bridge with high piers is always a good design choice when crossing the valleys and mountains. Traffic loading is one of the main factors to influence the duration and safety of this type of bridge with long span. For this type of bridge, the pier and the girder are formed an integrated system to resist the external loadings together. Since this type of bridge can accommodate a large number of traffic, the research on the traffic loadings’ impact on this type of bridges is few. Regarding long-span bridges, the relative research is mainly focus on the bridges supported by cables. In this study, the traffic loadings are established in micro scale, i.e. the updated cellular automaton model. The updated cellular automaton model is combined with several long-term recorded traffic data on the highway. Subsequently, the characteristics of long-span continuous rigid frame bridges with high pier under micro-scaled traffic model are identified. Finally, the discussion of the design vehicle load for this kind of bridge is discussed. The research results can provide references for establishing the reasonable traffic design loading in the future, and also be used in the assessment of the safety and fatigue of this type of bridge.
