ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a general approach aiming at assessing the risk contribution attributable to train derailment with emphasis on the structural dynamic analysis. Apart from requiring the structural integrity maintained in the event of a ship impact with a bridge structure other considerations may be of importance. The main elements in an assessment analysis of the risk associated with train derailment caused by ship impact on the bridge structure may be grouped in the following categories: ship traffic prognosis; calculation of the collision frequency; calculation of structural dynamic response; and calculation of train response to bridge vibration. In view of the complexity of the complete analysis a simple tool for deriving the dynamic response of the bridge and hence the train response is useful. To a certain extend the train traffic is planned and known a priori with various scenarios for the future development.
