On the Assessment of Fatigue Damage in Railway Bridges

Abstract

This paper discusses the benefits to using direct strain measurements when undertaking a fatigue assessment of a railway bridge. The paper gives a brief overview of the assessment methodology for assessing fatigue in a bridge carrying a single track before outlining a method suitable for assessing multi-track bridges. The accuracy of a fatigue assessment depends on the level of knowledge of many different parameters including: an accurate loading history comprising axle loads and train frequencies over its service life; details of changes to the track form, including changes in the depth of ballast; and changes to the structure including damage or repairs. Many of these parameters are not known with certainty. However, using monitoring systems to measure the strain cycles in a bridge helps to address some of these uncertainties and hence improves the accuracy of the assessment.