Static and dynamic behavior of disk bearings for OSPG railway bridges under railway vehicle loading

The aim of the present study is to investigate the static and dynamic behavior of disk bearings under railway vehicle loadings. A disk bearing is operated as an elastic bearing in the vertical direction and is composed of a Polyether Urethane (Polyurethane) disk for elastic support and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to accommodate lateral movements. Static tests are conducted in a laboratory to determine the static behavior of a Polyurethane disk. Finite Element (FE) analysis is also performed to assess the friction and the role of the pin inside a disk bearing. For dynamic behavior, four disk bearings having the identical Polyurethane disk, which are used in the static tests, are installed in a real railway bridge and tested under a running locomotive. From the test results, the static and dynamic stiffness of disk bearings are estimated and compared with each other. The estimated static stiffness of the disk bearing is almost half of that under dynamic loading. In addition, under relatively light loads the dynamic stiffness of a fixed disk bearing is approximately 80% greater than that of an expansion disk bearing since the PTFE deflects and the gap is closed in the expansion bearing. Deformation of the disk bearings in the real bridge is measured with varying locomotive speeds. The deformation of the disk bearings does not vary significantly with changes in the locomotive’s speed.