With the growth in both High Speed and Light Rail infrastructure projects worldwide there is a general requirement for accurate modelling of the interaction of the track with respect to any supporting bridge structures, and in particular, to ensure that any interaction between the track and the bridge as a result of temperature and train loading is within specified design limits. To accurately assess track-structure interaction effects nonlinear analyses are required to investigate thermal loading on the bridge deck, thermal loading on the rail if any rail expansion devices are fitted, and vertical and longitudinal braking and/or acceleration loads associated with the trainsets. For a complete rail track assessment, dynamic effects caused by the passage of trains that affect the structure itself must also be considered. The paper will describe how rail track analysis for both high speed and general trainsets can be carried out according to the Union Internationale des Chemins de fer (International Union of Railways) UIC774-3 Code of Practice [1] and Eurocode 1 [2] with particular reference to LUSAS [3] Rail Track-Structure Interaction and Interactive Modal Dynamics analysis software applications. Automated modelling techniques and results and graphing capabilities will be described. Projects either built or under construction and on which the software has been used to good effect are described and cited.

track-structure interaction; bridge; train; rail; UIC774-3