Florida Department of Transportation Research Development of FB-MultiPier Dynamic Vessel-Collision Analysis Models, Phase 2 BDV31-977-17 impact analysis (CVIA) and the one-pier two-span When collisions between large vessels and bridge (OPTS) bridge model. Both were incorporated into supports occur, they can result in significant FBMP and validated. CVIA is a dynamic analysis damage to bridge and vessel. These collisions of the vessel-bridge interaction during a collision are extremely hazardous, often taking lives on event. It also involves certain generalizations the vessel and the bridge. Direct costs of repair about collision scenarios and other refinements and liability are high; add to that secondary that significantly costs of delays and shorten computation congestion due to times. CVIA has rerouting traffic to been validated other bridges, which using data from may be distant and experimental impact not designed for the tests on bridge increased traffic structures. OPTS loads. Understanding involves a simplified these collisions in model of the bridge detail and developing structure based on design tools that Example of a multipier multispan the researchers’ incorporate this bridge as visualized in FB-MultiPier. familiarity with knowledge is an problems of this type. OPTS was verified as important and continuing effort. accurately predicting pier structural responses FB-Multipier (FBMP), the software advanced in relative to corresponding full-bridge structural this project, results from a ten-year collaboration response predictions. between Florida Department of Transportation The researchers conducted a cost-benefit analysis (FDOT) and University of Florida (UF) researchers. for a selected in-service bridge to demonstrate FBMP analyzes the supporting piers of multispan potential cost differences in sized structural and bridges, including the interaction among bridge foundation members, as identified by comparing components and between bridge components and results from static and dynamic vessel collision supporting soil. This work advanced the state-ofanalyses. The effects of various impact conditions the-art in numerical modeling of impact design and geotechnical considerations on impacted loads and predictions of bridge response. bridge pier response were explored. Computation The collision forces are complex: they increase times of full-bridge models and the OPTS models linearly up to a certain force, but beyond that, employed in the current study were compared. the structure’s reactions become highly nonlinear, This project demonstrates the very practical value generating very large datasets and computational of research into algorithms and mathematical needs that may be impractical in a typical design methods as FBMP makes available to the working setting. Therefore, in this project, researchers engineer the latest research in practical bridge focused on new numerical methods for FBMP — design software. Better design means more stable based on pioneering experimental and numerical and secure transportation structures and greater studies conducted by the UF team. The additions safety and efficiency. give FBMP the capability of predicting bridge response within reasonable margins of error. Specifically, the new methods are coupled vessel Project Manager: Sam Fallaha, FDOT Structures Office Principal Investigator: Jae Chung, University of Florida For more information, visit http://www.dot.state.fl.us/research-center