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This article proposes a novel method, entitled Reference-based Component Scaling (RCS) method, for estimation of bridge mode shapes using vehicle scanning methods. The proposed method uses two instrumented vehicles to measure the accelerations on the bridge. While one vehicle remains stationary on a pre-determined location, the other one travels over the bridge with a constant speed both exciting the bridge and recording its response. The accelerations recorded on both vehicles are then processed using variational mode decomposition method and Hilbert transform to obtain their modal components. Leveraging its comprehensive framework that incorporates modal components derived from both vehicles, the RCS method effectively tackles the primary challenges encountered by vehicle scanning methods. These challenges include: i) shifting and shrinking effects of bridge damping on mode shapes, ii) distortions in modal components due to incomplete elimination of the roughness effect and iii) distortions in modal components caused by acceleration peaks during the vehicle´s transition from a rigid platform to the bridge. To this end, the RCS method addresses adverse effects of bridge damping without a priori knowledge of the modal damping ratios. To assess the accuracy of the proposed method, numerical analyses were carried out on three different bridges with different number of spans and boundary conditions. The effect of crucial parameters such as road roughness, bridge damping, uncertainties in measurements, and existing traffic on the accuracy of the proposed method was investigated. The results of the numerical study show that the RCS method stands alone in providing accurate estimates of mode shapes of bridges that are seated on elastic bearings, that have realistic damping ratios and relatively high road roughness profiles. • A novel vehicle scanning method to estimate the mode shapes of bridges is proposed. • The Reference-based Component Scaling (RCS) Method uses two instrumented vehicles to measure the response of the bridge. • Through the normalization process, the RCS method tackles the challenges that current drive-by methods cannot address. • The RCS method stands alone in providing accurate estimates of mode shapes of bridges on elastic bearings that have realistic damping ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]