Fast Focuses on Bridges

This article describes how well-maintained bridges are a key component to safe and reliable operations on North American railroads. For this reason, a lot of action in infrastructure investment from the railroads is being seen. Researchers and structural engineers are dealing with a host of concerns from aging structures to different types of construction materials to heavier and faster loads to new Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) rules regarding bridge safety standards. The article shows how a survey-based study was conducted in 2010 with members of the railroad bridge structural engineering community to identify key areas where research should be focused. In order of priority, the following were all areas of concern: bridge deflection measurements under traffic; high-speed train effects; long-span bridge design and performance concerns; bridge approaches in both design and maintenance; longitudinal forces in bridges and developing new designs for current loads.