Train–Track–Bridge Interaction for the Analysis of Railway Bridges and Train Running Safety

In this thesis, train–track–bridge interaction (TTBI) models are used to study the dynamic response of railway bridges. A TTBI model considers the dynamics of the train in addition to that of the track–bridge system. The TTBI model enables the assessment of train running safety and passenger comfort. In the bridge design stage, a moving force model is instead typically used for the train load. The main aim of this thesis is to use results from TTBI models to assess the validity of some of the Eurocode design criteria for dynamic analysis of bridges. A 2D rigid contact TTBI model was implemented in ABAQUS (Paper II) and in MATLAB (Paper III). In Paper V, the model was further developed to account for wheel–rail contact loss. The models were applied to study various aspects of the TTBI system, including track irregularities. The 2D analysis is motivated by the assumption that the vertical bridge vibration, which is of main interest, is primarily dependent on the vertical vehicle response and vertical wheel–rail force. The reduction in bridge response from train–bridge interaction was studied in Papers I–II with additional results in Part A of the thesis. Eurocode EN 1991-2 accounts for this reduction by an additional damping Δζ. The results show that Δζ is non-conservative for many train–bridge systems since the effect of train–bridge interaction varies with various train–bridge relations. Hence, the use of Δζ is not appropriate in the bridge design stage. Eurocode EN 1990-A2 specifies a deck acceleration criterion for the running safety at bridges. The limit for non-ballasted bridges (5 m/s2) is related to the assumed loss of contact between the wheel and the rail at the gravitational acceleration 1 g. This assumption is studied in Paper V based on running safety indices from the wheel–rail force for bridges at the design limit for acceleration and deflection. The conclusion is that the EN 1990-A2 deck acceleration limit for non-ballasted bridges is overly conservative and that there is a potential in improving the design criterion.QC 20180403