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Coupling Effects of the Ballast Track Infrastructure on the Dynamic Response of Structurally Independent Railway Bridges
J.C. Sánchez‐Quesada1, A. Romero2, P. Galvín2,3, E. Moliner1, M.D. Martínez‐
Rodrigo1,*
1 Universitat Jaume I, Mechanical Engineering and Construction Department, Avda. Sos Baynat s/n, Castellón,
12006, Spain
2 Universidad de Sevilla, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, Camino de los Descubrimientos s/n, Sevilla,
41092, Spain
3 Laboratory of Engineering for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Universidad de Sevilla, Camino de
los Descubrimientos s/n, Sevilla, 41092, Spain
* Corresponding Author: M.D. Martínez-Rodrigo. Email:
The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences 2022, 24(1), 1-1. https://doi.org/10.32604/icces.2022.08691
Abstract
This paper is devoted to track-bridge interaction phenomena in railway bridges of short
simply-supported (SS) spans composed by ballasted tracks. These structures may experience
high vertical acceleration levels under operating conditions. In particular, the coupling effect
exerted by the ballast track shared by structural parts that are theoretically independent, such
as consecutive simply-supported spans or twin adjacent single-track decks, is investigated.
Experimental evidence shows that in these cases there may be an important vibration
transmission from the loaded to the unloaded track, and that the interlocked ballast granules
couple some of the lowest modes of vibration to an important extent. To this end a detailed
three- dimensional (3D) Finite Element (FE) model of an existing bridge is implemented where
the ballast in weakly connected regions is simulated as transversely isotropic material, in order
to represent in a simplified manner, the degraded state due to the relative motion between the
disconnected structural parts. First, the bridge numerical model is updated from the ambient
vibration response of the structure previously measured by the authors. Second, a sensitivity
analysis is performed on the properties of the degraded ballast and their effect on the first five
modes of vibration of the bridge is discussed. Finally, the response of the bridge under
operating conditions is computed numerically, compared with the response measured
experimentally in the time and frequency domains and conclusions are extracted regarding the
model adequacy.
Keywords
Cite This Article
Sánchez‐Quesada, J., Romero2,, A., Moliner, E., Martínez‐
Rodrigo, M. (2022). Coupling Effects of the Ballast Track Infrastructure on the Dynamic Response of Structurally Independent Railway Bridges.
The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences, 24(1), 1–1. https://doi.org/10.32604/icces.2022.08691