Dynamic Response of High-Speed Railway Bridge Decks with Beams Transverse to the Direction of the Track

Railway bridge decks are frequently constructed using a concrete slab supported by transverse beams, which in turn are connected to the main longitudinal supporting elements: arches, trusses, and so on. This is a structural design whose dynamic behavior often experiences excessive accelerations. Despite the frequent occurrence of this dynamic behavior, no studies have been completed that examine this dynamic response and the variables that cause it. This study proposes that reduced longitudinal stiffness is the cause of excessive vertical accelerations often exhibited by these decks. The study further proposes that increased stiffness in this direction, achieved by incorporating longitudinal beams connected to the underside of the slab, for example, greatly improves this structural design's dynamic behavior. (C) 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.