Maximum vertical acceleration patterns in skewed multi-span railway bridges under increasing operational speeds

Abstract

This study investigates maximum vertical acceleration patterns in highly skewed, multi-span railway bridges, focusing on Serviceability Limit State (SLS) performance under increasing operational speeds. A 3D finite element model of a representative Spanish high-speed girder bridge is employed, explicitly incorporating the ballasted track and weak coupling between spans. The dynamic response is assessed using three train excitation models of increasing complexity: the simple moving load model (TLM), a vehicle-bridge interaction (VBI) model, and the latter incorporating track irregularities (VBI-

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). The influence of deck skewness, modal participation, and ballast degradation at the simply-supported span interfaces is examined, along with a comparison to simplified analyses following code provisions. Quantitative results demonstrate that increasing deck skewness, from 90

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to 134

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, significantly reduces vertical accelerations by raising the first longitudinal bending and the first torsion frequencies, thus shifting prominent resonances outside the speed range of interest. While vehicle-bridge interaction (VBI) generally reduces accelerations at high speeds, track irregularities (VBI-

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) can notably influence the maximum response depending on the speed window. The weak coupling between simply-supported spans affects spatial acceleration distribution, with maximum responses increasing near the supports. Additionally, localized ballast degradation at span interfaces impacts local peak accelerations. Comparisons show that code-based simplified models consistently overestimate accelerations above 300 km/h. These findings provide critical data for SLS compliance and speed upgrade assessments in multi-span skewed bridges.

Keywords

Railway bridges / Ballast track / Resonance / Weakly connected spans / Deck skewness / Vehicle-bridge interaction

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Funding

Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación(PID2022-138674OB-C2)

Universitat Jaume I(E-2023-08)

Consejería de Transformación Económica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades(PROYEXCEL00659)

HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme(HORIZON-ER-JU-2022-ExplR-02)

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

The Author(s)