Dynamic Adaptability of Spherical Bearings in Small-Span Bridges for Heavy-Haul Railways

Plate bearings in existing small-span bridges for heavy-haul railways have exhibited corrosion, detachment, and surface cracks under large axle loads, making them inadequate for the “capacity expansion and renovation” of heavy-haul railways. Therefore, identifying new bearings suitable for small-span bridges and developing a rapid bearing replacement method tailored to the operational needs of heavy-haul railways are urgent priorities. This paper takes spherical bearings as an example and proposes a method for rapidly replacing plate bearings with spherical bearings. The bearing replacement tests of six simply supported beams were carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Dynamic performance tests of bridges and bearings were performed before and after the replacement. A finite element model was established to analyze the effects of bridge span and pier height. The results show that the entire bearing replacement process for a span bridge could be completed within 4 h using the proposed method. Compared to plate bearings, spherical bearings could improve the lateral dynamic performance of both the bridge and bearings. However, the improvement decreases as bridge span and pier height increase. For 2.2 m diameter cylindrical piers commonly used in heavy-haul railways, the pier height with spherical bearings should be limited to 10 m.

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