Indian railway bridges – adoption of new bearing technology to support the progression towards long span bridges

Abstract

<p>The Indian railway network has a proud history of rapid expansion to meet the needs of an enormous population across an extensive territory – an expansion which has relied on developing bridge construction technology in traversing ever greater obstacles such as rivers and valleys. An important aspect of modern bridge technology is the bearing which forms the vital link between a bridge’s deck and its supports, facilitating movements and rotations, and resisting loads, as required by the structure’s design. As bridge spans increase, the demands on bearings also increase, requiring constantly improving design and manufacturing capabilities. Fortunately, state-of-the-art bearings of the highest quality are now being manufactured in India, ensuring that the needs of even the most ambitious bridge designs can be met in supporting future network expansion and improvement.</p>