Modeling Progressive Settlement of a Railway Bridge Transition

This paper illustrates the impact of progressive settlement on a railway bridge transition using a three-dimensional dynamic numerical model that includes the train truck, rails, ties, ballast, subgrade, and bridge abutment and structure. A settlement law that relates tie load to ballast settlement is presented and demonstrated using an iterative fashion to evaluate bridge transition response to 28 MGT. The results illustrate: (1) development of the commonly observed dip about 2.5 to 3.7 m (8 to 12 feet) from the entrance bridge abutment, (2) tie-ballast gaps progressively increase in height and expand to ties outwards from the bridge abutment, (3) a redistribution of load to ties outwards from the bridge abutment as tie-ballast gaps develop and increase, and (4) a ballast surface profile that attempts to minimize tie loads by evenly distributing the wheel load amongst adjacent ties.