Efficient transient dynamic analysis of a crane bridge subjected to shake table tests using non-linear substructuring

The dynamic behavior of bridge cranes under earthquake is an essential issue for nuclear safety, requiring experimental data and validated numerical simulations. In order to investigate the non-linear seismic response of an experimentally tested bridge crane through a shake table test, three-dimensional transient dynamic analyses are carried out in MATLAB environment using non-linear substructuring for non-smooth transient dynamics in the framework of Heterogeneous Asynchronous Time Integrator. An explicit time integrator is applied in the small contact areas to treat multi-impacts and frictional contacts between wheels and rails with a fine time step satisfying the CFL condition, while an implicit time integrator is adopted with a large time step in the other parts without contact. The non-linear seismic behavior of the mock-up is reproduced in a satisfactory way, such as the frictional sliding and uplift, with an excellent computational efficiency. The different comparisons between numerical and experimental results give a satisfactory agreement in terms of pseudo-acceleration response spectra, displacements and forces transmitted to the anchorage systems of the shake table, demonstrating the ability of the proposed numerical model to predict the non-linear dynamic response of bridge cranes under earthquake excitations.