Simplified approach to dynamic analysis of railway bridges for high-speed trains

In this report the analysis of 278 existing railway bridges is presented. The aim is to investigate how many of these bridges that potentially can be upgraded to higher speeds, with a target of 250 km/h. Due to the vast amount of bridges and the limited resources, the analyses are performed using simplified 2D models. The analysis is afflicted with several uncertainties, both regarding input parameters as well as model uncertainties. The results should therefore be interpreted carefully and primarily serve as an indicator for which bridges that may or may not meet the requirements. Large uncertainties are especially expected for portal frame bridges due to its inherently large interaction with the surrounding embankment and 3D behaviour. The results from the analysis show that a total of 22 bridges theoretically fail to meet the dynamic requirements. A combination of refined analysis and experimental validation is recommended to better assess the dynamic response for these bridges. Among the most critical cases are several steel-concrete composite bridges, that due to a combination of low mass and low natural frequency may be prone to resonant loading. Retrofitting with external dampers may for some bridges be a viable solution.QC 20181221