Economic Approach to Damping Trail-Style Footbridges

Trail-style bridges located in remote locations are often not assessed for their dynamic performance. These bridges are characterized as Class IV in Setra, defined as a "seldom used footbridge, built to link sparsely populated areas." Organizations like Bridges to Prosperity (B2P) and Bridging the Gap Africa have been doing excellent work to link remote communities and bridge major obstacles in the developing world.

Trail-style bridges, due to their construction methods and lightweight nature, can exhibit a lively response under footfall. The vertical and lateral motion can potentially be disturbing to certain users, particularly where the bridge crosses a high ravine or spans over a rushing river.

This paper discusses the potential use of Stockbridge dampers as a measure to reduce the buildup of motion under pedestrian footfall for this class of footbridge. A proposed method is provided for 1) defining the damper frequency, 2) determining the mass of dampers, and 3) estimating the level of supplemental damping achieved.

Utilizing Stockbridge dampers may prove very useful for remote trail-style bridges, in additional to urban bridges by offering the designer an economic, non-mechanical solution for adding supplemental damping to control vibration levels.

Stockbridge dampers may also be used for retrofitting bridges that users find uncomfortable due to excessive motion.

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