In this paper, a computationally efficient procedure is proposed for simulating the response of bridges traversed by moving vehicles. Using the finite element method, a vehicle is modeled as lumped masses supported by dashpots, and a bridge by beam elements. An interaction element is defined to consist of a bridge element and the suspension units of the car body resting right on the element. The composition of an interaction element and the associated car body is regarded as a substructure. With the dynamic condensation method, all the degrees of freedom associated with the car bodies existing within each substructure are first eliminated. As the condensation is performed on the element level, conventional element assembly process can be directly applied to form the structure equations. The proposed procedure is particularly suitable for simulating bridges traversed by vehicles moving at different speeds and/or directions.

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