TABLE OF CONTENTS John F. Unsworth, P.Eng.
Manager, Structural Planning and Design
Canadian Pacific Railway
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
The primary purpose of railroad bridges is to safely and reliably carry freight and passenger train traffic within the railroad operating environment. Recommended practices for the design of railroad bridges are developed and maintained by the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA), 8201 Corporate Drive, Suite 1125, Landover, MD, 20785-2230. Recommended practice for the design of fixed railroad bridges is outlined in Part 1, Design, and Part 5, Special Types of Construction, in Chap. 15, Steel Structures, of the AREMA Manual for Railway Engineering (MRE). Recommended practice for the design of movable railroad bridges is outlined in Part 6, Movable Bridges, in Chap. 15, Steel Structures, of the AREMA MRE. The information in Chap. 15 is prepared and continuously reviewed and updated by AREMA Committee 15. Chapter 15 provides detailed recommendations for the design of steel railway bridges for spans up to 400 ft in length, standard-gage track (56.5 in), and North American freight and passenger equipment at speeds up to 70 and 90 mi/h, respectively. The recommendations may be used for longer span bridges with supplemental requirements.
Elastic analysis procedures are usually used for steel railroad bridges, and Chap. 15 of the AREMA MRE provides recommendations for allowable stress design. The design service life of railroad bridges is generally considered to be about 80 years. Serviceability criteria, such as fatigue and deflection, often govern...
