Integral Railway Bridges in Germany

摘要

In Germany, integral bridges for railway lines take a higher level of relevance. This paper describes the recent development of structures with integral abutments and gives an outlook on large bridges currently in the making on newly built railway lines. In the German railway network, reinforced concrete frames for spans up to 20 m have been used for more than 25 years. Lateral launching of frame bridges into existing railway links are an economical option. Following the good experience with frame construction, even longer frame bridges with integral abutments were implemented as an economical variant. The advantages are highlighted by the examples of viaduct Rednitztal, the flying junction Dresdner Bahn and the composite bridge over River Saaleflut. On the basis of these successful experiences, especially regarding low-cost construction, robust construction type and simple maintenance, these bridges are also integrated into newly built railway lines. The starting point for the construction of frame bridges was the very high-quality design of the frames compared with the single-span girder bridges implemented until then. The bridges on the railway line from Erfurt to Halle/Leipzig, which are currently in progress, are good examples for this implementation. The viaducts Scherkonde, Unstruttal, Gansebachtal and Stobnitztal portray in detail the design and construction principles for long frame bridges. In conclusion, the advantages of frame bridges, such as high stiffness, favourable transmission of horizontal loads and simple construction without bearings, are discussed comprehensively and quality is assessed on the basis of the gathered experience.