Railway viaduct LRFD Wind Loading

[Jean_Wong]

Good Day!

I have been assigned to design viaducts which must include wind load on structures and wind load on live load. I might be designing using STAAD or MIDAS. How do I apply the wind load on live load? Should I put it in the model as a moving load that moves with the train or should I just distribute it throughout the viaduct? What are good references for wind loading for railways?

Thanks!

 

[mronlinetutor]

I am interested to know too. I have an old version of Midas FEA, 'mdas fea 2013'. it has 2 dimensional cfd analysis on wind flow. but I couldn't find any design guide for it except a youtube video which is in russsian. do u have a design guide for midas fea 2013 cfd? can you send me a copy? I would appreciate that.

 

[bridgebuster]

The wind load on the live load doesn't move with the train. It's a uniform load along the length of the viaduct. When I get home I'll look for an example.

 

[bridgebuster]

@Jean Wong - attached is an LRFD example for a steel highway bridge. You'll find an example for wind on live load. It's the same concept for a railroad bridge.

 

[dhengr]

Jean_Wong:
You have essentially a 15 - 16' high continuous broadside when a train is on the viaduct, 15.5' is the max. plate C car height, and probably a good average height today. And, there is enough turbulence around the train, so that the open spaces btwn. the railcars and under the cars is just part of that continuous tube of wind obstruction. I think that the wind area would be 16' high, by the length of the viaduct, and there would also be a suction force of leeward side.

 

[Jean_Wong]

@mronlinetutor:
I do not have a design guide for midas fea 2013 cfd but you should try contacting midas for references. They even send a representatives sometimes for demonstrations at our office.

@bridgebuster
Thanks for the reference. It was more detailed than the one I had.

@dhengr
Thanks for the details. Most references I had read provided details for car/truck and not so much on trains.