Influence of truck platooning with various vehicular gaps on bridge vibration

Truck platooning tests using automated driving technology have been conducted on expressways to address issues such as truck driver shortages, an aging workforce, and rising fuel costs. These tests involved three trucks traveling at a speed of 80 km/h, with the trailing two trucks unmanned and maintaining approximately 9 m between vehicles. When multiple trucks cross a bridge with a specific gap between them, the combined vibration of the vehicles and the bridge can cause significant bridge vibrations. In recent years, many bridges have been constructed as continuous structures to improve their seismic performance. Consequently, numerous vibration modes of multiple bridges exist in proximity. Hence, it is believed that many coupled vibrations between trucks and bridges are generated. However, it is possible to control the bridge vibration response by altering the gap between vehicles and their traveling speed. In this study, the effect of the gap between vehicles during actual truck platooning tests on changes in bridge vibrations is investigated.