A Field-test Study of the Design Standards of Elevated Structures for Rubber-wheeled Light Rail Transit: Braking Force

Abstract

Due to the absence of design guidelines for elevated light-rail structures in Korea, most elevated light-rail structures have been designed and constructed based on the design codes of conventional railway bridges and on the codes recommended by foreign vehicle manufacturers. This is the main reason why most elevated light-rail structures are massive or over-designed or poorly constructed economically. In this paper, the authors carried out field tests to analyze the braking forces caused by braking a train running at speeds of 50km/h, 60km/h, and 70km/h, acting on the elevated structures of rubber-wheeled Light Rail Transit (LRT) trains. The authors also briefly describe the analyzed results of the braking force acting on the substructures of elevated light-rail structures. The test-results presented here in this paper can be referenced when establishing design guidelines or standards for elevated structures of LRT systems.