Real-time hybrid simulation of high-speed train-track-bridge interactions using the moving load convolution integral method

•Proposed a convolution integral method to calculate the track-bridge in real-time.•The feasibility of the proposed method is validated experimentally & numerically.•The effect of girder section & train speed is studied by real-time hybrid simulation. Train-track-bridge interactions (TTBIs) in high-speed railways affect the response of the train on the bridge and involve complicated dynamics. This study introduced an improved real-time hybrid simulation (RTHS) method, wherein a physical train model was tested on a shake table, while the dynamics of the track-bridge structure were determined numerically. The moving load convolution integral method (MLCIM) was proposed for the real-time calculation of the track-bridge structure dynamics independent of the complexity of the numerical model. The results obtained using the MLCIM were compared to those obtained using the traditional finite element method to verify its accuracy and efficiency. Next, the TTBI characteristics of a train moving across a seven-span simply supported bridge with the track structure were analyzed for cases of different girder stiffnesses and train speeds. The results demonstrated that the improved RTHS method using the MLCIM effectively represented the TTBI dynamics. The girder stiffness and train speed were shown to substantially influence the responses of the moving train. Further, a ride comfort evaluation confirmed the operational performance of a train on the studied track-bridge structure.