Effect of the Type of Track on the Dynamic Behaviour of High Speed Railway Bridges

Abstract eng:
This paper presents a study performed with the purpose of providing a comparison between the effects of the two types of railway track – ballasted and ballastless – in the dynamic behaviour of a bridge. This study also addresses the different methods to model the various types of track, as well as their consequences for the parameters defining the dynamic behaviour of the bridge structure. Initially, an overview of the different types of track systems is presented, comprising the more traditional solution of ballasted track, and, alternatively, the ballastless track solution, with an emphasis on the wide range of options currently available for both of these track systems. At a later stage, the presented study is focused in how the dynamic behaviour of a bridge is affected by the type of track and what might be the consequences for the dynamic response parameters (vertical acceleration, displacement and internal stresses). This work is complemented by a comparative analysis of various numerical models, in which the different types of railway track systems are considered with varying degrees of refinement of the track mechanical models. This comparative analysis is carried out with the hypothetical case study of the São Martinho Viaduct, near Alcácer do Sal, in Portugal, a viaduct that was recently designed and built for conventional rail traffic (design speed of 220 km/h). A comparative

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