Modelling the interaction effects of the high-speed train-track-bridge system using ADINA

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to present some results concerning the investigation of the effects of the vehicle-bridge interaction in simply supported medium span viaducts, including the modelling of the ballast-rail track system. This system is modelled using the rail stiffness in vertical and longitudinal directions, including the rail pad and the sleepers, and the ballast as a system of vertical springs, dampers and masses. A simplified vehicle model proposed by the European Railway Research Institute (ERRI D214, 1999), taking into account the vehicle primary suspension characteristics and the mass of the bogie is used with the contact algorithm implemented in the software ADINA to evaluate the response acceleration of a simply supported medium span concrete viaduct. The results are compared with those from the moving loads model for a wide range of train speeds