Keywords: dynamic, vibration, railway bridge, moving load, train-bridge interaction, freight train, factorial experiment.

This paper focuses on studying the dynamic response of bridges under passing freight trains. To increase transport efficiency, infrastructure mangers are asked to allow for higher freight train speeds and higher axle loads. However, little work has been done on the influence of increased freight train speeds on bridges. In this paper a two-level factorial experiment was used to identify the most important factors in train-bridge interaction systems comprising the Swedish Steel Arrow freight train passing over simply supported beam bridges. Thereby, the effect of a simple 2D multibody model as opposed to moving forces was set in relation to variations in other key system parameters. Preceding the factorial experiment, four train models were compared to determine a relevant vehicle idealisation. Through the factorial design, effects of single parameters, as well as joint effects from simultaneous changes in several parameters, were evaluated. The type of load model was found to have a large effect, reducing the bridge deck response at resonance considerably for the four studied bridges of span 6, 12, 24 and 36 m. For the relatively light 24 and 36 m span bridges, clear resonance peaks from heavy freight train passages in the speed interval 50-150 km/h were much reduced.

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