Design of Steel Bridges for Shinkansen, Japan, High-Speed Rail

Abstract

Many types of steel railway bridges—including composite girders, truss bridges, and arch bridges—have been constructed for the Shinkansen high-speed rail in Japan. Recently, the selection of both the structural type of bridge and the bridge's method of erection became more important. In this paper, first the concept of selecting the type of bridge and erection methods according to the surrounding conditions is discussed. Then an example of the latest construction, Matsubara Bridge in Kyushu Shinkansen, is described. This 1,243-m-long bridge is the longest over-bridge across rail track in Japan. Moreover, the construction site was located in a densely populated area and the existing rail was very busy. With those severe conditions overcome with state-of-the-art bridge erection techniques, construction was completed smoothly.