Finite element modelling of Humber Bridge

Humber Bridge, built in 1981, is the fifth longest single span bridge in the world, with main span of 1410m and total length2220m. A Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system is currently in operation to help operators identify significant changes in structural performance and inform maintenance decisions. The Humber Bridge SHM uses experimental data to diagnose performance with the help of a physics-based representation in the form a finite element model. This needs to be validated against prior experimental observations of dynamic performance. This paper describes the modelling processes of Humber Bridge using ANSYS software. The modelling considered two levels of resolution for the deck model. The initial model was made with equivalent plate to decrease the model complexity. However because of differences between the analytical and experimental measurements it was decided to model the Bridge with the new equivalent box section and demonstrated that model works properly.