Bowstring bridges for high-speed railway transportation

Abstract

The Italian Railway Transportation Organization (RFI) is presently planning to replace existing traditional steel bridges with bowstring bridges designed according to high-speed requirements. This study is focused on structural types and design rules, with the aim to fulfill the current requirements on fatigue and passenger comfort. Several structural solutions have been investigated, and the dynamic behaviour of railway bowstring bridges with span length ranging from 70 to 120 m has been studied in detail. A new structural solution is proposed, with the aim to improve the performance regarding passenger comfort; the solution, named MABB (Multiple Arches Bowstring Bridge), consists of an external arch connected to two internal arches by means of the hangers.