Dynamic aspects of the high-speed railway bridge across the Hollandsch Diep

ABSTRACT: The structures and track system which are part of the Dutch High-Speed Railway connection betweenAmsterdam and Paris, have all been analyzed for their dynamic behavior with regard to structural integrity and passenger comfort. This paper describes the general approach of these dynamic analyses as performed in the High-Speed Line-Zuid project, and goes into more detail with regard to bridge-track interactions at the bridge across the Hollandsch Diep, one of the most eye-catching and largest structures in this project. Relevant issues are the optimization of the level of passenger comfort by introduction of a pre-camber in the alignment of the track system and the dynamic behavior of the steel transition slabs, which as a special structure in the track system allow for the horizontal expansion and contraction of the bridge.