A structural articulation method for assessing railway bridges subject to dynamic impact loading from track irregularities

Abstract

This paper discusses the importance of track irregularities in railway bridge design, and presents a new technique for calculating the dynamic impact load induced by such irregularities: the structural articulation method. The properties of the combined bridge-suspension system are coupled through global mass, stiffness, and damping matrices. Under the proposed method, the true suspension system over a particular point on the bridge girder at time t is divided into equivalent suspension systems attributed to adjacent finite-element nodes of the bridge. The time-dependent effects of a moving mass are thereby included in the equation of motion.

Influences of track and rolling stock parameters on the railway load amplification factor

“…According to the literature, the LAF is influenced by several track and rolling stock parameters including, but not limited to, wheel flatness 17,18 , the train's un-sprung mass 19,20 , surface imperfections of the rail 14,15 , the conditions of the sleeper support 21,22 , the mechanical properties of the rail pad 23 , nonlinear behaviour of the track 24 , and the stiffness of the track. 25 The research reported in this paper sought to develop mathematical models for the correlation between the above track and rolling stock parameters and the track's design criteria.…”

“…Railway bridge design is also an area where serious studies have been made on the effects of dynamic impacts due to loads. [14][15][16] Despite recent developments in the comprehension of the dynamic nature of train loads and their impact on the structure of tracks, there remains potential for further investigations. In particular, the simultaneous application of a wider range of track and rolling stock parameters could be considered in tandem with all the design criteria of the track's components.…”