ABSTRACT
This paper studies the dynamic effects of Self Propelled Modular Transporter (SMPT) movement for the purposes of Accelerated Bridge Construction. First, accelerometers were attached to a SPMT and different motion cases were simulated in three loading conditions. For the out-of-plane direction, driving the SPMT over rough terrain provided the Peak Platform Acceleration (PPA) while start-and-stop motion was controlling for the in-plane direction. In the out-of-plane, accelerations were related to SPMT transport speed. The in-plane accelerations were not affected by the speed of the SPMT, but were affected by the ability of the operator to perform a smooth braking operation. Out-of-plane accelerations can be reduced by limiting the SPMT speed; however, in-plane accelerations may need to be reduced because some level of damage is likely acceptable to the falsework in a similar manner currently used for AASHTO LRFD earthquake design. The SPMT movement had a larger impact on the system as the total weight of the system decreased, both in out-of-plane and in-plane directions.
