Case Study of Bus Rapid Transit Bridges in Xiamen, China

Because of its superior efficiency, environment-friendly and aesthetic value, Bus rapid transit (BRT) system has grown to be an emerging urban public transport system in recent years. Based on the study of Xiamen BRT, the first viaduct bus rapid transit system in China, the numerous technical features of this system have been studied, such as load model, bridge type selection as well as span arrangement. Meanwhile, the design of ancillary facilities and some new construction methods have been discussed. As a significant part of urban landscape, the coherence between bridges and environment has been fully taken into account during the bridge design process. Moreover, on the basis of the static and dynamic field testing, the actual operation state and dynamic performance of this series of bridges have been analyzed. The paper also discussed the feasibility on the new concept for shifting the BRT bridges from rapid transit to light rail in long-term.