Effect of Uneven Piers Settlement on Dynamic Responses of Train-Longitudinal Connected Slab Track-Bridge System

A three-dimensional finite element coupled dynamic model of high speed train-longitudinal connected slab track-bridge, which takes the nonlinear contact among different components of slab track-bridge system into account and is based on train-track coupled dynamic theory, was established, and corresponding program was developed and verified. With the established dynamic model, and taking high-speed train passing longitudinal connected slab track on bridge under different uneven piers settlement as examples, dynamic characteristics of high-speed train-longitudinal connected slab track-bridge coupled system were theoretically studied. The results are as follows: (1) uneven piers settlement has a great effect on vibration characteristics of longitudinal connected slab track and high-speed train, but a relatively small effect on vibration characteristics of bridge; (2) uneven piers settlement has some effect on dynamic stress of components of slab track and wheel-rail force, but the effect is different for different components: the effect is relatively small for maximum wheel-rail force and maximum pressure force of fastener, however, it has a large effect on positive moment of rail, maximum tensile force of fastener, maximum longitudinal tensile stress of slab and maximum pressure stress of CA mortar; (3) with the increase of uneven piers settlement, the dynamic characteristics of train-longitudinal connected slab track-bridge coupled system also increase, however, it is not a linear monotonic increase, but has some connection with the local void among different components of slab track-bridge system, which is caused by uneven piers settlement.