Proposed LRFD Bridge Design Specifications for Light Rail Transit Loads

摘要

Bridges carrying or expected to carry rail transit vehicles are becoming more commonplace in crowded metropolitan areas. In many cases, the bridges are designed to carry the rail transit vehicles only, but in some instances, rail transit is designed to occupy a dedicated lane or to mix with regular highway traffic. For bridges designed to carry light rail transit systems, the responsible agency often requires that the designs satisfy owner-specific and local design codes, various AASHTO bridge specifications, and the Manual for Railway Engineering; however, neither the bridge specifications nor the manual specifies the light rail transit loads. Light-rail bridge design involves several additional conditions, such as track-work design and the interaction between the rails and structure.