Design of a single-track railway network arch bridge : According to the Eurocodes

Abstract: A constant research of more ecological and efficient structures has enabled bridges to be more innovative through the years. Nowadays, as the need is greater than ever, a new kind of bridge is expanding in the entire world: the network arch bridges. The concept was developed by professor and engineer Per Tveit in 1955 and has been improved since then. But it is only for 10 years that many bridges of this sort have been built. The aim of the thesis is to investigate the structural behavior of these bridges and their efficiency comparing to traditional bridges. It is also proving the efficiency of the network arches used for rail traffic. To do so, a single-track railway network arch has been designed according to the Eurocodes. A 2D model has been designed to be optimal and tested under Abaqus for the loads defined in the Eurocodes. Guidelines from the literature and Per Tveit’s work have been used to determine the optimal geometry of the bridge. The steel weight needed for the 75 meters long bridge is assessed from the final design and is the main parameter to compare and evaluate the network arch structural efficiency. These results are compared with Tveit’s statements and with other structures.