ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: A wide programme for development of high speed railway infrastructure is being carried out in Spain. This paper presents the most common structural forms for long viaducts which are being designed in our country. Special emphasis is drawn on the selection of the structural scheme in order to successfully solve the resistance requirements for longitudinal starting-off and braking forces and the displacement tolerances of the railway expansion joints. The most common prestressed concrete solutions are presented, and the different construction methods are detailed: prefabrication, advancing shoring and launching. The steel concrete composite alternatives for the deck are also presented in comparison with concrete bridges. These alternatives have been widely used in Europe but they are only starting to be a design option for railway bridges in Spain.
