Puente de la línea de alta velocidad Barcelona - frontera francesa sobre la AP-7 en Riudellots de la Selva

Barcelona - French border high speed rail bridge over motorway AP-7 at Riudellots de la Selva

High speed railway line between Barcelona and the French border crosses AP-7 highway in Riudellots de la Selva (Girona). The structure has two spans of 53.00 m and a big skew (34º).A truss structure with variable depth has been used due to a wide range of facts such as, high visibility from highway, strong stiffness requirements and span length. This structural type combines stiffness and lightness.The structure has two lateral beam trusses with parabolic shape. Beams are entirely closed in central area to have enough bending resistance and to transmit the shear forces through the central support.The deck has transversal beams connecting the trusses without any diaphragms between piers. This creates a clean bottom view from the highway. A concrete slab was constructed over transversal beams. This slab directly resists railways loads and gives transversal stiffness to the structure.The bridge will be seen by thousand people daily, the design aim is the combination of robustness and aesthetic appearance.