Influence of railway loading on the performance of soil-filled masonry arch bridges

Augusthus Nelson, L ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3092-7635, Swift, G, Smith, C, Gilbert, M and Melbourne, C 2018, 'Influence of railway loading on the performance of soil-filled masonry arch bridges' , Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Bridge Engineering, 171 (4) , pp. 276-289.

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Abstract

Masonry arch bridges are found in large numbers on the rail networks of Europe and other parts of the world. However, the mode of response of masonry arch structures subjected to railway loading is little understood. To address this, an experimental study involving large-scale physical models of backfilled masonry arch bridges subjected to railway loading conditions has recently been conducted. This has explored the influence of the rail track bed system on bridge behaviour and on load carrying capacity. Tests indicate that the track bed system fundamentally alters the mode of response of the bridge system, and significantly increases load carrying capacity. Using the same test facility, load tests have also been used to explore and characterise the behaviour and performance of damaged arch bridges, with the test results obtained suggesting that although there is likely to be a reduction in overall capacity, even a significantly damaged arch bridge can still perform adequately under loading. This has important implications for bridge owners and assessment engineers.

Keywords: masonry arch bridges, physical modelling, cyclic loading, rail track system, backfill.

Item Type:	Article
Schools:	Schools > School of Computing, Science and Engineering > Salford Innovation Research Centre
Journal or Publication Title:	Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers - Bridge Engineering
Publisher:	ICE Publishing
ISSN:	1478-4637
Related URLs:	Publisher
Funders:	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Depositing User:	L Augusthus Nelson
Date Deposited:	20 Apr 2018 08:39
Last Modified:	21 Nov 2019 15:56
URI:	http://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/46785

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