Software Verification
PROGRAM NAME: SAP2000
REVISION NO.: 3
EXAMPLE 1-030
FRAME – MOVING LOADS
EXAMPLE DESCRIPTION
This example uses a 40-foot-long simple span bridge (beam) to test moving load
load cases. Moving load cases use defined vehicle loads and defined lanes (rather
than the load cases that are used by other analysis types) to calculate the most
severe response resulting from vehicle live loads moving along lanes on the
structure.
A single 12-foot-wide lane with a maximum discretization length of 2 feet is
defined along the center line of the bridge structure. An H20-44 truck load
vehicle and an H20-44L lane load vehicle are created and a vehicle class
containing both the H20-44 and H20-44L vehicles is defined. The moving load
analysis considers both vehicles separately and reports the worst-case response.
In addition to the moving load case, this example also includes a multi-step static
analysis for the H20-44 vehicle. This analysis simulates the truck moving across
the bridge.
For each of the load cases the maximum moment and maximum reaction are
compared with independent results that are either presented in Appendix A of
AASHTO 1990 or hand calculated.
Output stations along the frame element modeling the bridge are specified to be
at a maximum spacing of 2 feet.
TECHNICAL FEATURES OF SAP2000 TESTED
Moving load case
Multi-step static load case for vehicles
EXAMPLE 1-030 - 1
Software Verification
PROGRAM NAME: SAP2000
REVISION NO.: 3
GEOMETRY, PROPERTIES AND LOADING
12' Material Properties
Bridge structure C E = 518,400 k/ft2
Lane
and lane ν = 0.2
1.5'
Z Section Properties
b = 12 ft
1 40' C 2 Section C-C d = 1.5 ft
X
26k for all
response
18k for except
32k moment
Analysis Cases 8k moment
only
MOVEINF: Moving load analysis case; each vehicle
is run forward (from joint 1 to 2) and 14' 0.640 k/ft
backward along the lane
MOVEMS: Multi-step static analysis case; H20-44 H20-44
vehicle is run forward along the lane Truck Load H20-44 Lane Load
RESULTS COMPARISON
The independent results for all items, except the maximum reaction for the
MOVEMS load case, are taken from tables in Appendix A of AASHTO 1990.
The independent results for the MOVEMS load case are hand calculated.
Output Percent
Load Case Parameter SAP2000 Independent Difference
Max Moment
MOVEINF 345.6 346.0 -0.1%
k-ft
Moving load
case Max Reaction
38.789 38.8 0%
kips
Max Moment
MOVEMS 345.5 346.0 -0.1%
k-ft
Multi-step static
Max Reaction
load case 37.192 37.2 0%
kips
The maximum moment in the MOVEINF load case is controlled by the
H20-44 truck load. It is the same as the maximum moment in the MOVEMS load
case, which considers only the truck load.
EXAMPLE 1-030 - 2
Software Verification
PROGRAM NAME: SAP2000
REVISION NO.: 3
The maximum reaction in the MOVEINF load case is controlled by the
H20-44L lane load. It is larger than the maximum reaction in the MOVEMS load
case, which considers only the truck load.
COMPUTER FILES: Example 1-030
CONCLUSION
The SAP2000 results show an acceptable match with the independent results.
EXAMPLE 1-030 - 3
Software Verification
PROGRAM NAME: SAP2000
REVISION NO.: 3
HAND CALCULATION
EXAMPLE 1-030 - 4