Longitudinal loading on Ballasted railroad bridges
Longitudinal loading on Ballasted railroad bridges
(OP)
I am a frustrated highway bridge engineer trying to figuure out how to distribute the longitudinal loading from a E80 cooper load from the track through the ballast onto the bridge deck. According to the AREMA manual the load is distributed with respect to the relitive stiffness of the members, which is great but how is it distributed thourgh the ballast to the members? It seems to me the load would reduce as some of it would be absorbed by the ballast. By the way the bridge is 3-span with the members simply supported. Any help on this would be appreciated.





RE: Longitudinal loading on Ballasted railroad bridges
RE: Longitudinal loading on Ballasted railroad bridges
In your opinion what would be a reasonable vaue to reduce the force? Since the ties are acting aganinst the passive resistance of the ballast and that transmission to the structure is probably limited by a frictional value of the ballast against the concrete would a frictional value of sliding for ballast against concrete make sense?
Any help would be appreciated
RE: Longitudinal loading on Ballasted railroad bridges