The role of physical models in the validation and calibration of numerical models -- The example of the Lilleb{\ae}lt Bridge

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the ongoing relevance of physical models in engineering research by using a scale model of the Lilleb{ extae}lt Bridge to validate and calibrate numerical models through experimental modal analysis.

Contribution

It illustrates how physical models can complement numerical methods in structural engineering research and education, specifically through modal analysis of a historic bridge model.

Findings

Physical model provided reference data for numerical model validation.

Operational modal analysis determined natural frequencies and damping ratios.

Physical models remain valuable tools despite advances in computational methods.

Abstract

With the rapid advancement of computer technologies enabling fast calculations of complex structures, numerical methods have become a central tool in engineering sciences, while physical models have increasingly receded into the background. Nevertheless, owing to their clarity and comprehensibility, these former engineering tools remain of great value and their use can still be highly relevant today. At the example of the scale model of the Lilleb{\ae}lt Bridge -- developed by the Copenhagen engineers Christen Ostenfeld and Wriborg J{\o}nson and given for research purposes to the Bauhaus-Universit\"at Weimar -- this paper illustrates how physical models can still serve as useful instruments in research and teaching. By applying operational modal analysis, the natural frequencies and damping ratios of the bridge model are experimentally determined, which in turn can serve as reference data for the calibration and validation of numerical models.