PRPgenerator generates parallel synthetic profiles along a road stretch. It has been developed within the field of road bridge dynamics but could be used for any other purpose that requires the implementation of synthetic profiles.
In general, road roughness is the main source of dynamic excitation in road bridge dynamics and affects both the vehicle and the bridge. A correct and complete definition of the road surface is then a key point in vehicle–bridge dynamic analysis. When the actual profile of a particular road stretch is not appropriate but a set of profiles that are representative of a certain sort of roads, stochastic definitions for the generation of synthetic profiles are used. It is a commonly assumed hypothesis that the randomness of the road surface roughness can be represented with a normal stationary ergodic random process described by means of its Power Spectral Density (PSD). In road vehicle–bridge interaction it is frequently assumed that the road profile is constant along deck width. This simplification can be found both when road profile is measured in situ and also when synthetic profiles are employed. This entails that the road profile is the same under all wheels. Nevertheless, when a four wheeled vehicle runs over a road, left and right wheels do not follow the same path, thus the profiles under each side tyres are different, but those profiles are not independent.
PRPgenerator is implemented in MATLAB and it is a stand-alone application so no MATLAB license or installation is required.