Dynamic response analysis of monorail bridges under moving trains and riding comfort of trains

This paper introduces an analytical procedure to derive equations of motion for the monorail train–bridge interaction based on Lagrange’s formulation to investigate riding comfort of moving monorail trains on bridges. A 15 degrees-of-freedom dynamic model is assumed for a car in a monorail train that consists of driving, steering, and stabilizing wheels. It is based on the finite element method for modal analysis using three-dimensional models for a monorail bridge. Dynamic behaviors of a rationalized monorail bridge with a simplified structural system are investigated in comparison with those of a conventional monorail bridge using the developed analytical method. The riding comfort of running trains on the rationalized monorail bridge based on ISO 2631 is estimated using 1/3 octave band spectral analysis. Observations indicate that a rational type bridge does not engender difficulties related to the riding comfort of the monorail train, even when considering the longest traveling time of passengers between terminals.