Innovative Railroad Bridge Solutions [B23]

All aboard! We'll explore two innovative railroad bridge solutions in this session.

First, we'll introduce a study involving the development of steel deck panel alternative to concrete- or timber-ballasted decks in railroad bridges. The concept is being developed into a standard design for low-clearance ballasted deck panels. We'll discuss the adaptability of the standard panel, the various shapes and configurations being used, a brief background on deck design, comparison against other deck panel systems, and sample project installations. Ultimately one can design, fabricate, and construct a complete steel bridge superstructure system for rail girder bridges using these ideas.

We will then discuss the construction engineering and execution of the accelerated replacement of a 105-year-old double-track steel through truss and open deck girder approaches with single-track ballasted deck girder spans during a planned 56-hour rail closure. The general replacement scheme involved driving the new main span across an approach span and onto the truss main span using self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs) before transferring the weight of both the existing truss and new girder main spans to jacking towers. The end panels of the truss were removed so that the entire system could be lowered until the new main span was supported on the existing bents. The team developed a roll-in system to support the SPMTs during drive-in and drive-out and to distribute the loads such that no existing members were overloaded.

Track: Students

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