Design of Rail-Carrying Structures with the Integration of Crash Walls

Abstract

Crash walls in the rail industry are typically stand-alone structures used to redirect or deflect railroad equipment while protecting a structural element from train derailment. This was different for East Harbour Transit Hub (EHTH), which is expected to become the second busiest train station in Toronto, Canada, after Toronto's Union Station, where the rail-carrying structures of the train station are located near future developments and are expected to be integrated with a crash wall. Current design standards in the rail industry, such as AREMA and available literature, lack direction on designing rail-carrying structures integrated with crash walls. This resulted in a unique design challenge as the structures were to withstand train derailment impact loads along with normal loading, while the structural integrity was maintained so that overall collapse does not occur. Furthermore, the repairs on the rail-carrying structure due to impact loading must be limited, ensuring no lengthy interruptions to the new station. As such, this paper will discuss how rail-carrying structures can be integrated with crash walls. This will include discussing the results of high-fidelity finite element modelling to capture the load distribution of the train impact load accurately. Furthermore, this paper will present a design approach that would ensure that the weakest point in the structure is in the crash wall, so the rail-carrying structure is protected from damage. With industry acceptance, this transformative, innovative solution would allow rail agencies to integrate crash walls safely into their structures, giving access to more land and possibilities compared to a stand-alone crash wall.