Design of High-Speed Railway Bridges with Earthquakes in the United States

Abstract

The California High-Speed Train (CHST) project is located on the west coast of the United States, which is one of the areas around the Pacific plate that has high earthquake risks. Generally, high-speed rail requires rigid structures to satisfy tight limits on deflection and vibration control. But in earthquake areas, flexible and ductile structures are often preferred to resist seismic excitations efficiently, creating additional challengers in the design of the bridge structures. This paper highlights design criteria associated with these conflicting demands and presents some optimal design solutions that best balance these requirements.