Impact Rating of Semi-trailer Truck – Railway

Through Plate Girder (TPG) Bridge Collisions

Ali I. Ozdagli1, Fernando Moreu1,2, Shreya Vemugant1, Bideng Liu3
1
Department of Civil Engineering, University of New Mexico
2
Department of Electrical Computer Engineering, University of New Mexico
3
Institute of Disaster Prevention, Beijing, China

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Outline
1.Background
2.Framework
3.Methodology
4.Results
5.Ongoing Efforts
6.Future Work
7.Conclusions
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Background

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Frequency of Railroad reported events causing traffic interruptions

Half of 8,563 reported

railway bridge related
interruptions are…

Joy, R., Jones, M.C., Otter, D. and Maal, L., Characterization of Railroad
Bridge Service Interruptions (No. DOT/FRA/ORD-13/05) (2013).

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In the News

November 4th, 2016, Pocatello, Idaho Fenny Compton, UK 15th February 2011
http://www.eastidahonews.com/2016/11/logging-truck- http://www.banburyguardian.co.uk/news/breaking-news-
crashes-pocatello-railroad-bridge-breaching-diesel-fuel- rail-bridge-destroyed-in-crash-1-2414100
pipeline/

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Ann Arbor, MI Pennsauken, NJ
Aug. 31, 2017 July 30, 2017

CONSEQUENCES OF OVERHEAD IMPACT IS VERY COSTLY

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Previous Impact Studies

Highway Bridge Span – Highway Vehicle Bridge Pier – Barge

There is no impact study on vehicle - railroad bridge collision.

This study is the initial attempt to understand consequences of

overhead collisions

Consolazio G. R., McVay M. C., Cowan D. R.,

Xu, L., Lu, X., Guan, H., and Zhang, Y. (2013). "Finite-
Element and Simplified Models for Collision
Simulation between Overheight Trucks and Bridge
Superstructures." J. Bridge Eng.
Davidson M. T., and Getter, D. J. (2008).
“Development of improved bridge design
provisions for barge impact loading,” Florida
Department of Transportation, Report No. BD-
545 RPWO 29.

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Framework

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Three Main Components

Bridge Modeling Impact Modeling Train Crossing
• Create an FE • Simulate a collision • Simulate a train
model of a event and obtain crossing event
representative plastic • Bridge responses
bridge deformations to real train vehicle
• ANSYS, a generic • Observation of before and after
FE modeling permanent impact is critical for
program is deformations rating
selected. Preferred
by many industries

Impact Modeling
Train Crossing
Bridge Modeling
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Bridge Canadian National

Railways

Girders
• Web 14 mm (9/16”)
• Flange 40 mm(1 9/16”)
Cross-beams
• W530x123 (W21x83)
Deck
• 14 mm (9/16”)
K-braces
24.4 m (79 ft. 8 inch) • 14 mm(9/16”) plate
5 m (16.5 ft.)

• 200x14 (8x1/2”) flange

c/c
Duluth, MN
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Original Drawings

Steel Framing Plan

Our model is relying on real structural geometries and model

parameters.

Elevaton

Canadian National
Railways

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FE Modeling
Bilinear Isotropic Steel Material 8-node solid element 4-node quad shell
element

• Adaptive meshing of ANSYS tool • Smaller meshes don’t provide further accuracy
• Nodes are automatically linked • Larger meshes creates convergence problems
• Meshing sizes: • Final Meshing:
• Min edge = 2” • ~50000 Nodes
• Max edge = 6” • ~9000 Elements

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Knee Full FE Modeling

Brace
Deck

Girder

Floor beam

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 Boundary Conditions

Boundary conditions modeled to capture

transverse failure of the supports
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Limitations of the Model

• Mass of ballast, track,
rail… is not included
• Bolts are not modeled
• Welding is not considered
• Fatigue is out of scope
• No material depreciation
modeling
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 Impact Block
• Truck (80,000 lbs) is idealized as mass block
• Mass of the block:
15,000 lbs (6,750 kg)
• HxWxL Dimensions:
1.0x6.6x23.0 f
• Constant impact area: 6.6 f2
• Rigid body
• Block hits to the bottom flange

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Train Crossing
• Constant speed

• Train dynamics are not

modeled

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Methodology

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Performance-based Sensing
Can we observe a notable deformation in the model that relates to
changes on performance (displacement under trains)?
Phase 1 Phase 2
Simulate Simulate
Train-Crossing Event Bridge-Vehicle
Before Impact Collision Event

Phase 3
Simulate
Train-Crossing Event
Afer Impact
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Results

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Impact Description

Impact Block

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40 km/h Truck Collision

• Permanent lateral displacement = 3.93 inches

• Damage Length = 151.7 inches

Da
ma
ge
L en
gth

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Simplified FE Modeling Approach

• Modeled only girder

for the simplicity

Springs
• Knee braces are
ignored
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Further Simplified FE Modeling

• Modeled single girder

for the simplicity
• Increased mesh at the
impact region for
better convergence

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Impact Modeling
• There is no guideline for overhead impact

• AASHTO LRFD Design Code suggests 600 kips

static force for impact to the bridge pier

AASHTO = American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials

LRFD = Load and Resistance Factor Design

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Impact Modeling
• Impact is designed as
1/10*600 kip

• Applied as lateral load to

the flange

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Train Crossing
• Standard Cooper E80 is
considered
• Train weight simplified as
distributed load over the flange
• A dynamic loading of 4 kip/f is
applied (per girder) over one
second
• Train dynamics are not modeled

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Train Crossing before Impact

Vertcal Displacement
During Train Crossing
0.426 in

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60 kip Force Collision

Permanent Lateral Permanent Strain
Displacement At Flange
2.12 in 0.0 in/in

• No damage at flange at low impact force!

• However there is some permanent damage due to damaged bearings

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Boundary Condition Investigation

60 kips 60 kips

Plastc Strain Plastc Strain

Force
@ Left Bearing @ Right Bearing

60 kips 0.006 in/in 0.0019 in/in

180 kips 180 kips 180 kips 0.062 in/in 0.0387 in/in

• Even at low impact force, bearings may yield!

• Left bearing (closer to the impact) gets more damage

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Displacements during crossing after Impact

Input Force Vertcal Displacement Difference
During Train Crossing
N/A 0.42533 in N/A
60 kips 0.42593 in 0.14 %
180 kips 0.42789 in 0.60 %

60 kips 180 kips

• Vertical displacements are not sensitive to the damage!

• Element/material failure modelling is omitted. Loss of material will have

significant impact on strength of the bridge

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Ongoing Work

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Efficiency of Crash Beams

• Beam Layouts
• Connection numbers

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Impact Testing in Laboratory

• Testing and modeling
of realistic case

• A pendulum type impact

Xu, L. J., Xia Z. Lu, Smith S. T., and He. S. T. (2012) "Scaled model test for collision between over-
height truck and bridge superstructure." International Journal of Impact Engineering 49: 31-42.

Impact on girders are planned in small-scale

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Fall 2017 and Beyond
1 Model
 Crash Beam
• Assessment of
current design
• Effective new designs
 Over-Height Vehicle
• Implementation of existing models
3 Field Testing
 Full scale testing
will be conducted
at TTCI which will
inform full scale
design
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2 Small Scale Testing at Laboratory
 Development of a novel damage
intensity scale
 Improve impact rating for the new
crash designs
4 Field Monitoring
 Integration of sensor system to the
bridge
 Long-term monitoring of vehicle
collisions
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Conclusions

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Conclusions
• Afer-impact assessment requires quantification of the
damage in terms of serviceability
• Regardless of the severity of the damage, there were
negligible changes on vertical displacement under train
crossing
• Bearings yield even at slow impact speeds
• Railroad bridges are robust

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Acknowledgement
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of New Mexico
Canadian National Railroads

Canadian National
Railways

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Thank you for your Attention

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