Vehicle Velocity Recognition by Bridge Responses with a Pattern Search Algorithm

The vehicle velocity of an operational system is recognized by the bridge responses with a pattern search algorithm in this paper, which provides an approach to monitor the vehicle velocity in civil engineering. The Pattern Search algorithm is represented by a preliminary numerical example. The operational bridge system is simplified to a moving mass and a simple supported beam, and the vibration differential equations are obtained to get an objective function. The vehicle velocity is identified after 34 iterations while the mesh size is little than the threshold value. The mesh sizes, the best function value, and the evaluation of the iterations are illustrated by figures. The recognition results are compared to the other two algorithms, genetic algorithm and simulated annealing, respectively. It is concluded that the vehicle velocity could be identified by the pattern search algorithm in a convergent and efficient way.