Load Analysis and Loading Scheme for a Pedestrian Bridge

(Fundamentals)
Transversal Beams Longitudinal Beam Slab

Side View
Support Support
1.10 m 1.10 m 1.10 m 1.10 m 1.10 m
0.25 m 5.0 m 0.25 m
1.16 m

Plan View

Slab is not shown in the plan view

 Material and Geometric Properties Needed
for Load Analysis

Transversal and longitudinal (principle) beams are all made
of wood with a unit weight of 4.60 kN/m3,

There are six transversal beams with a cross sectional
dimension of 140 mm x 200 mm (width x height),

There are two principle beams with a cross sectional
dimension of 220 mm x 300 mm (width x height),

The slab is composed of plywood and a cover layer (also
wood),

The plywood modules are sold with a standard dimension of
300 mm x 60 mm (width x thickness),

The cover part of the slab has a thickness of 3 mm,
 Load Analysis for Transversal Beams

The purpose of this analysis is to calculate the forces acting on each transversal
beam,

The calculated forces will be used to design, or to check (to verify), the
dimensions of the transversal beams,

The permanent structural
Loads due to structural members (i.e, slab and transversal
load being carried by a beams)
transversal beam
Permanent structural loads,
1.10 m
Self weight of a 1 m x 1 m slab:


1.0 × 0.06 × 1.0   × 4.60   =
0.28  

Self weight of the transversal beam:
.×. 
×.   
.  = 0.12




Total weight = 0.28   + 0.12   = 0.40  

Total uniform load acting on the transversal beam:

/ = 0.40   × 1.10  = . !! "#⁄$
 Load Analysis for Transversal Beams

The permanent non-

structural load being carried
by a transversal beam

1.10 m

Loads due to non-structural members (i.e, slab cover)

Permanent non-structural load,

Self weight of a 1 m x 1 m slab:


1.0 × 0.03 × 1.0   × 4.60   =
0.14  

Total uniform load acting on the transversal beam
due to non-structural load:

/' = 0.14   × 1.10  = . () "#⁄$
 Load Analysis for Transversal Beams

Design uniform load acting on the transversal beam is calculated using load
factors,

Load factors are given in design codes for different type of loads (i.e., there are
different load factors for permanent structural loads, permanent non-structural
loads, earthquake loads, wind loads, etc.)

Load factors can be considered as safety factors, they are a product of semi-
probabilistic design approach (for further reading refer to TS-500, TS-498,
Eurocodes, and ASCE 7)

In EuroCode, the design load (load used to desing the structural members)
is calculated as follows,

* = 1.35 / + 1.50 /'

* = 1.35 0.44 + 1.50 0.16 = . ,! "#⁄$

. ,! "#⁄$ The uniform design load acting on

the transversal beam due to self-
weight including structural and
1.16 m non-structural permanent loads!
 Load Analysis for Transversal Beams

Now that we know the design load acting on the beam and we have developed
a mathematical model for the beam (i.e., here it is assumed that the beam is a
simply supported beam)

We can calculate the reaction forces (support reactions), max. moment and
shear force values due to permanent loads (notice that the permanent loads are
amplified by load factors!)

. ,! "#⁄$

1.16 m

R1 = Reaction forces,

-* = -./. 0123
Where do these values occur,

4* = -./. 561.7 80791
and how to calculate them?
 Traffic Load Acting on the Transversal Beams

The value of the traffic load and how and where it is acting on the transversal
beam are specified in design codes, here EuroCode specifications are followed,

In EuroCode, a moving concentrated vertical load of 10 kN acting on a 10 cm

x 10 cm area is considered (the location of the load may change!)
10 kN

10 cm

10 cm

This load is acting on top of the cover slab, therefore it has to be transferred
to the mid-line of the transversal beam,
 Traffic Load Acting on the Transversal Beams

The load transfer to the mid-line according to EuroCode,

10 kN

0.03 m (Cover)
0.06 m (Slab)
450 450 0.10 m (Transversal Beam)
0.20 m
0.10 m (Transversal Beam)

0.10
(0.03+0.06)+0.10 (0.03+0.06)+0.10
0.48 m
Uniform traffic load due to concentrated
traffic load on the transversal beam:
M = 10 NO 0.48  = P( "# $
 Traffic Load Acting on the Transversal Beams

The design traffic uniform load on the transversal beam according to EuroCode
is calculated as follows,

QR = (. ST × P( "# $ = P,. ST "# $

Now in order to find the most unfavorable action on the transversal beam,
analyze the following two load configuration,

P,. ST "# $ P,. ST "# $

0. 48 m 0. 48 m 0. 68 m

1.16 m 1.16 m
This configuration will This configuration will
maximize the moment ad maximize the shear force at
the mid-span! the support!
Calculate the following values

-* = -./. 0123

4* = -./. 561.7 80791
 Pedestrian Load Acting on the Transversal Beams

The pedestrian area load acting on the transversal beam is taken as 5 kN/m2
based on the EuroCode specifications,

The design area pedestrian load is calculated as follows,

QR = (. ST × T. "# P = ). UT "# P
$ $

The design uniform load on the beam is calculated

QR = ). UT "# $P × (. ( = U. !S "#⁄$
(notice that 1.10 m is the distance between the transversal beams)

U. !S "#⁄$

R3 = Reaction forces,

-*V = -./. 0123

4*V = -./. 561.7 80791
1.16 m
 Maximum Internal Forces due to Different Actions

So far, three different sets of internal forces (actions) are calculated, namely

Md1 and Vd1 due to permanent structural and non-structural dead loads,

Md2 and Vd2 due to moving concentrated load of 10 kN,

Md3 and Vd3 due to uniform pedestrian load

Md,max = max(Md1 + Md2, Md3) and Max. design actions!

Vd,max = max(Vd1 + Vd2, Vd3)

Notice that all three different actions are NOT considered acting simultaneously,
this is something to do with semi-probabilistic design approach (to be elaborated
later in this course)

Once the maximum moments and shear forces are calculated, by using the
factored resistance of the wood material (tabulated in design codes or provided
by the manufacturer), and the geometric properties, the section is verified, i.e.
the dimensions of the section are checked whether they are safely carrying the
design actions due to design loads (to be elaborated later in this course)
 Load Analysis for the Principle (Longitudinal) Beams

Loads due to the self-weight of the beam

Self-weight of a 1 m long principle beam:

0.22 × 0.30  × 4.60 

 = 0.30  ⁄

The design uniform self-weight

QR/WXYZ = (. ST × . S "# $ = . !( "# $

Now notice that transversal beams are sitting on the principle beams, in
other words reaction forces developed on the transversal beams are acting
on the principle beam on six different locations (recall that there are six
transversal beams),
Plan View
1.16 m
 Load Analysis for the Principle (Longitudinal) Beams

Reaction forces on the principle beam due to design loads on the
transversal beams

[ + [V [ + [V [ + [V [ + [V
[ + [V [ + [V
2 2

1.10 m

1.10 m 1.10 m 1.10 m 1.10 m 1.10 m

These forces and the uniform design self load (0.41 kN/m) must be added,
to do that reaction forces can be approximately made uniform load as
follows
]^ _]
*́ = .

Recall that R1 is due to permanent design uniform load, and the R3 is due
to uniform design pedestrian load
 Load Analysis for the Principle (Longitudinal) Beams

Total design uniform load is QR = QR/WXYZ + QŔ

QR "#⁄$

5.5 m

Calculate the following values for the principle beams loaded with the uniform
load qd

R4 = Reaction forces,

-* = -./. 0123 Design actions!

4* = -./. 561.7 80791

Once the maximum moments and shear forces are calculated, by using the
factored resistance of the wood material (tabulated in design codes or provided
by the manufacturer), and the geometric properties, the section is verified, i.e.
the dimensions of the section are checked whether they are safely carrying the
design actions due to design loads (to be elaborated later in this course)