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An enhancement in the wheel-rail contact model used in a nonlinear vehicle-structure interaction (VSI) methodology for railway applications is presented, in which the detection of the contact points between wheel and rail in the concave region of the thread-flange transition is implemented in a simplified way. After presenting the enhanced formulation, the model is validated with two numerical applications (namely, the Manchester Benchmarks and a hunting stability problem of a suspended wheelset), and one experimental test performed in a test rig from the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) in Japan. Given its finite element (FE) nature, and contrary to most of the vehicle multibody dynamic commercial software that cannot account for the infrastructure flexibility, the proposed VSI model can be easily used in the study of train-bridge systems with any degree of complexity. The validation presented in this work proves the accuracy of the proposed model, making it a suitable tool for dealing with different railway dynamic applications, such as the study of bridge dynamics, train running safety under different scenarios (namely, earthquakes and crosswinds, among others), and passenger riding comfort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An enhancement in the wheel–rail contact model used in a nonlinear vehicle–structure interaction (VSI) methodology for railway applications is presented, in which the detection of the contact points between wheel and rail in the concave region of the thread–flange transition is implemented in a simplified way. After presenting the enhanced formulation, the model is validated with two numerical applications (namely, the Manchester Benchmarks and a hunting stability problem of a suspended wheelset), and one experimental test performed in a test rig from the Railway Technical Research Institute (RTRI) in Japan. Given its finite element (FE) nature, and contrary to most of the vehicle multibody dynamic commercial software that cannot account for the infrastructure flexibility, the proposed VSI model can be easily used in the study of train–bridge systems with any degree of complexity. The validation presented in this work proves the accuracy of the proposed model, making it a suitable tool for dealing with different railway dynamic applications, such as the study of bridge dynamics, train running safety under different scenarios (namely, earthquakes and crosswinds, among others), and passenger riding comfort.

This paper deals with the simultaneous identification of road roughness and vehicle parameters, considering the effect of vehicle–structure interaction. The proposed technique avoids the use of bridge response data (which has practical implementation difficulties along with the high chances of corruption with environmental noises) and utilizes the vehicle response data (which is relatively easier to record). Further, vehicle calibration is not needed as the roughness is estimated simultaneously. The identification is carried out by the coupling of an unbiased minimum variance estimator with an optimization scheme. This study considers a quarter-car vehicle model and a half-car vehicle model, instrumented to measure the vehicle vibration data. The unbiased minimum variance estimator (MVE) allows a linear temporal evolution of the state variables, incorporating the roughness as an unknown input term such that the need for linearization is avoided, unlike the traditional nonlinear filters. The optimization scheme helps in choosing a set of optimal solutions for the vehicle parameters as designed in the coupled scheme. The best split of the available measurement data to be used in the two schemes (MVE and optimization scheme) is discussed. The effect of different objective functions is also studied. The proposed technique is successful in terms of simultaneously estimating the vehicle parameters, roughness profile and vehicle responses (states) accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By there gemeotry, vertically curved reinforced concrete flyover bridges (VCRCFBs) are expected to provide parabolic profiles for smooth passage of traffic. Conventional use of straight precast beams in producing such profiles has consistently resulted in polygonal profiles with persistent expansion joint problems, causing discomfort to users and reducing public confidence. Geometrical influence of three profiles on the dynamic characteristics of this type of bridges as well as bridge-vehicle response at varying vehicular speed with respect to human perception to vibration have been presented. Modal analysis was conducted on three VCRCFB models using CSiBridge (2015); a profile achieved using horizontal beams, a profile using slightly curved beams and a profile using a combination of straight and curved beams. Three vehicles were simulated, each passing the bridge for a period of 10 seconds per lane at the same speed of 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 km/h and at varying vehicular speeds of 45, 50, 60 km/h and 60, 65,70 km/h, respectively. Response spectrum from time history analysis conducted for the three (3) vehicles moving on each of the models was plotted. Vertical component of acceleration at corresponding frequencies was compared with Irwin (1979) base curve for human perceptibility threshold. Profile with combination of straight and curved beams was found to induce less vibration compared to profile with straight and that with slightly curved beams. The results indicate that profiles of VCRCFBs with combination of straight and slightly curved beams at the cusp induced less vibration compared to profiles with straight or slightly curved beams. As such, the use of combined geometry precast beams should be encouraged in achieving vertical profiles for this class of bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of combined state and parameter estimation in nonlinear state space models, based on Bayesian filtering methods, is considered. A novel approach, which combines Rao-Blackwellized particle filters for state estimation with Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulations for parameter identification, is proposed. In order to ensure successful performance of the MCMC samplers, in situations involving large amount of dynamic measurement data and (or) low measurement noise, the study employs a modified measurement model combined with an importance sampling based correction. The parameters of the process noise covariance matrix are also included as quantities to be identified. The study employs the Rao-Blackwellization step at two stages: one, associated with the state estimation problem in the particle filtering step, and, secondly, in the evaluation of the ratio of likelihoods in the MCMC run. The satisfactory performance of the proposed method is illustrated on three dynamical systems: (a) a computational model of a nonlinear beam-moving oscillator system, (b) a laboratory scale beam traversed by a loaded trolley, and (c) an earthquake shake table study on a bending-torsion coupled nonlinear frame subjected to uniaxial support motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Railway bridges can be particularly sensitive to dynamic effects induced by trains owing to the resonance phenomena originated by periodic loading associated with the passage of regularly spaced train's axles groups. The increase of these dynamic effects in bridges located in freight railway lines, due to heavy axle-loads, higher circulation speeds, and the existence of track irregularities or wheel defects, can lead to excessive bridge vibrations, that can put in risk the structural safety, mainly due to the fatigue phenomena, and wheel-rail contact stability. In this study, the dynamic response of the Suaçuí railway bridge to heavy axle-load trains (HAL) considering the vehicle-structure interaction was analyzed. For this purpose, three-dimensional finite element models of the truss bridge, including the track, and train were developed. The dynamic response was obtained using ABAQUS software based on an iterative uncoupled method for the vehicle-structure interaction and considering track irregularities. The validation of the numerical models was performed through a comparison between the numerical and experimental dynamic responses, in terms of displacements and accelerations of the bridge for the passage of DASH 9W Locomotives and GDE wagons. The experimental response obtained from a dynamic test under railway traffic revealed a good agreement with the numerical response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normal and tangential stresses acting over a contact interface of a tire driven on dry sand were investigated to expand the applicability of our model incorporating 2D FE–DEM with proportional–integral–derivative (PID) control. A simple averaging method for contact reaction was introduced: computational segments were defined over the lower half part of the tire circumference that translates without rotation with the tire; then the contact stresses were calculated segment by segment. For the analysis, it was assumed that the tire was in rigid contact mode and that it would travel on the model sand terrain in stationary condition. The integration of normal and tangential contact stresses with respect to the angle of rotation was then applied to calculate the vertical contact load, gross tractive effort, net traction, and running resistance of the tire by parametric (or semi-empirical) analysis. The result of tractive performance obtained through the parametric analysis was found to be similar to the result of tractive performance obtained directly using FE–DEM analysis. A forward shift of the consistent angle of rotation for maximum normal contact stress and that for maximum tangential contact stress with the increase of slip from 22% was also observed in the FE–DEM result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines an analysis of the traveling performance of a lunar rover. The analysis is in the form of numerical simulations and it uses soil properties, identified in vacuum, and mechanics of wheel-based travel. The wheel-to-ground contact model and soil parameters are determined first so they could be used in the numerical simulation. A soil test device is introduced and the soil parameters are identified from plate-pressing and shear tests. Finally, numerical simulations are conducted using the parameters identified and their results are discussed along with those of the traveling tests conducted in vacuum. The soil tests indicated that the wheel sinkage into the ground can increase in vacuum and that the shear stress acting beneath the wheel in vacuum is almost the same as that in the atmosphere. Because of these trends, the simulations and traveling tests showed that the traveling performance of the wheel can decrease in vacuum. Although it has been widely considered that the vacuum environments enhance the traveling performance of the wheel, this study confirmed that it is not always the case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a numerical model that can be used to perform a fully three-dimensional analysis of problems involving vibrations induced by railway traffic, taking into account the dynamic interaction of the vehicle-structure-ground system. The structure and the vehicle are modelled with finite elements, while the behaviour of the ground is described by its Green's functions. It is a particular case of a FEM/BEM coupling, in the time domain, wherein the structure modelled with finite elements lays on the surface of the ground. The dynamic analysis of the system results from the direct and efficient calculation of a single system of equations. The validation of the proposed model is based on the results of an experimental campaign developed in a stretch of the Portuguese railway network. The vibrations generated by one passage of the Alfa Pendular train are analysed and a good agreement between measured and calculated responses is achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study considers the application of finite element modeling, combined with numerical solutions of governing stochastic differential equations, to analyze instrumented nonlinear moving vehicle–structure systems. The focus of the study is on achieving computational efficiency by deploying, within a single modeling framework, three substructuring schemes with different methodological moorings. The schemes considered include spatial substructuring schemes (involving free-interface coupling methods), a spatial mesh partitioning scheme for governing stochastic differential equations (involving the use of a predictor corrector method with implicit integration schemes for linear regions and explicit schemes for local nonlinear regions), and application of the Rao–Blackwellization scheme (which permits the use of Kalman's filtering for linear substructures and Monte Carlo filters for nonlinear substructures). The main effort in this work is expended on combining these schemes with provisions for interfacing of the substructures by taking into account the relative motion of the vehicle and the supporting structure. The problem is formulated with reference to an archetypal beam and multi-degrees of freedom moving oscillator with spatially localized nonlinear characteristics. The study takes into account imperfections in mathematical modeling, guide way unevenness, and measurement noise. The numerical results demonstrate notable reduction in computational effort achieved on account of introduction of the substructuring schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thanks to 3D CAD modelling software the role of sections has been grown significantly. In this article we discuss the increasing role of sections. First we present some practical applications such as a section of a track and wheel and we also show how they can be used for mechanical calculations through an example of a shaft weakened with a keyway. The principle of additive manufacturing is also based on sections. Finally sections can be also used at optimizing parts, but in this paper we discuss only the case of shape optimizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a comprehensive comparative study on several existing vehicle-bridge interaction (VBI) models is presented with the aim to provide a useful reference to the selection of vehicle and bridge models when conducting the VBI simulation. A simply-supported slab-on-girder highway bridge and the AASHTO HS20-44 vehicle are adopted in the numerical analysis. The bridge is modeled as an Euler-Bernoulli beam, grillage, plate-and-beam system and solid-element system, respectively, while the vehicle is modeled as a moving-force, moving-mass and spring-damper-mass (SDM) system, respectively. Other factors, including the road roughness and the contact condition between the vehicle tire and bridge, are also considered. The effects of different VBI models on the bridge responses are studied and the results from different models are compared in terms of their accuracy, efficiency and suitability. The results show that the accuracy of different types of bridge responses calculated varies with the number of bridge vibration modes used in the simulation. It is also found that the type of element used in the bridge model and the vehicle tire model both have a larger impact on the bridge acceleration than bridge deflection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vehicle–track interaction in the mid- and high-frequency range has become an important issue for rolling-stock manufacturers, railway operators and administrations. Previous modelling approaches have been focused on the development of flexible wheelset–track systems based on the assumption that the unsprung masses are decoupled from the high-frequency dynamic behaviour of carbody and bogies. In this respect, the available flexible wheelset models account for gyroscopic and inertial effects due to the main rotation but are, in general, developed from the viewpoint of inertial spaces and consequently restricted to the study of tangent layouts. The aim of this paper is to present the formulation of a flexible rotating wheelset derived within the framework of a non-inertial vehicle moving reference frame. This brings a double advantage; on the one hand, the formulation is not restricted to tangent tracks, but is also suitable for the study of transition curves and curve negotiation. On the other hand, the use of a vehicle moving reference frame allows the introduction of the hypothesis of small displacement for the degrees of freedom of the wheelset. This hypothesis is not applied to the pitch angle, as it is associated with the main axis of rotation. In addition, unlike previous flexible wheelset models that only consider the rotation around the main axis, all the degrees of freedom will be considered when developing the dynamic equations of motion. Results for the proposed model will be presented and the influence of the inertial and gyroscopic terms not taken into account in previous derived formulations will be evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This investigation intends to contribute to the problem of train-bridge interaction in high-speed railway lines. For design purposes, most often a numerical model based on constant moving loads is used to reproduce the traffic action exerted on the structure. Since no vehicle–bridge interaction is considered, this simple model may overestimate the bridge transverse displacements and accelerations when resonance occurs, particularly in simply-supported spans. According to Eurocode 1 the reduction of the bridge response due to this phenomenon may be included either by means of a coupled vehicle–bridge analysis, for which several vehicle models can be employed, or by considering an additional amount of damping which depends on the bridge span. In this investigation the two approaches are addressed and the bridge response at resonance provided by both techniques is thoroughly compared; the comparison is carried out through various examples where the interaction phenomenon may have practical importance in the verification of the serviceability limit state of acceleration for ballasted tracks. Using a nondimensional formulation, the key parameters that determine the reduction of the bridge peak response in terms of accelerations and displacements due to train-bridge interaction are brought to light. The results of a subsequent extensive sensitivity analysis are presented and discussed. The main purpose is to decide whether, taking into account all potential train-bridge configurations, a conservative approach in the prediction of the response reduction caused by interaction can still be adopted. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] A method for analyzing the nonlinear vehicle-structure interaction is presented. [•] Structure and vehicles modeled with finite elements to account for all deformations. [•] Due to the nonlinear behavior a formulation based on the Newton method is used. [•] The accuracy and efficiency of the developed method are demonstrated and validated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Under-deck cable-stayed bridges of 80m span are considered. [•] The response for the serviceability limit-state of vibrations is investigated. [•] A vehicle-bridge interaction model is used, capturing dynamic vehicle properties. [•] Correct modelling road roughness and vehicle eccentricity is particularly important. [•] Design criteria are proposed for under-deck cable-stayed bridges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Interval dynamic response analysis of vehicle-bridge interaction system with uncertain parameters is studied in this paper. The bridge''s and vehicle''s parameters are considered as interval variables. A half-car model is used to represent a moving vehicle and the bridge is assumed as a simply supported Euler–Bernoulli beam. By introducing the interval algorithm into the dynamic analysis of vehicle-bridge interaction system, the expressions of the midpoint value, interval width, lower and upper bounds of interval bridge dynamic response are developed. The lower and upper bounds are respectively the minimum and maximum values of bridge dynamic response, which can also be determined by optimization approaches. A heuristic optimization method, a new particle swarm optimization method with low-discrepancy sequence initialized particles and high-order nonlinear time-varying inertia weight and constant acceleration coefficients (LHNPSO), is then developed to find the bounds of bridge displacement. Examples are used to illustrate the effectiveness of the presented methods and Monte-Carlo simulations are implemented to validate the computational results. The effects of individual system parameters on bridge response are also investigated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recent trends toward economically fabricating lightweight vehicle structures while ensuring structural performance have led to the implementation of crash-toughened adhesive bonding in automotive industry. Adhesive bonding has been shown to offer better fatigue performance and greater flexibility in joining dissimilar materials when compared with resistance spot welding. While a great deal of effort has been focused on studying the performance of adhesive, there is an urgent need to understand the effect of curing conditions encountered in paint baking environment on the mechanical properties of adhesive-bonded workpieces. This study was carried out to determine the effects of curing temperature, curing time and enclosure conditions in the paint oven on the strength of adhesive-bonded structural steels. The enclosure conditions, simulating the exposure of the vehicle interior and exterior parts in paint baking environment, were classified into three types: fully-enclosed, semi-exposed and fully-exposed. Tests were designed and implemented to examine how the adhesive-bonded interior parts would cure in an electro deposition (ELPO) environment. The results showed that enclosure conditions influenced significantly the strength of the bonded steel because of variations in heat convection. The optimum curing temperature and time significantly depend upon the enclosure conditions of the joints. The increase of the curing time or curing temperature is beneficial for improving the strengths of the adhesive-bonded steel joints. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hybrid cable-stayed bridges consist of steel and concrete bridge segments, of which steel–concrete joints are of great importance and raise strong research interest. Due to the limitation of the traditional methods, i.e., the member finite element (FE) method and Mixed Dimensional Coupling (MDC) method, the present study proposes a substructure method to model long span bridges. The current application of the substructure method is to extract some specific parts of the whole structure to refine and analyze them. Different from the routine substructure approach, here the entire structure is modeled in detail and divided into many substructures. All the substructures are then condensed into super-elements except the concerned part. The application of the method is then illustrated through numerical studies of the vehicle–bridge coupling vibration of the Jingyue Yangtze River Bridge with a main span of 816m. The entire bridge is first divided into many substructures with a reasonable length. Among them, the concerned substructure with 23.8m in length including the steel–concrete joint is modeled in detail but not formed into super-element, while all the other components are modeled in detail and formed into super-elements using the component mode synthesis (CMS) method. All the components including both the super-elements and non-super-elements are then assembled into a complete and fine full bridge model. Finally, the model is used for the vehicle-induced dynamic analysis under deterministic traffic flows. The results show that the joint works well, and the transition between the steel girders and concrete beams is very smooth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new method for the dynamic analysis of the vertical vehicle–structure interaction is presented. The vehicle and structure systems can be discretized with various types of finite elements and may have any degree of complexity. The equations of both systems are complemented with additional compatibility equations to ensure contact between the vehicles and the structure. The equations of motion and the compatibility equations form a single system that is solved directly, thus avoiding the iterative procedure used by other authors to satisfy the compatibility between the vehicle and structure. For large structural systems the proposed method is usually more efficient than those that frequently update and factorize the system matrix. Some numerical examples have shown that the proposed formulation is accurate and efficient. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Nowadays, one of the most sensible issues in the railway industry is the damage on vehicles caused by the track conditions and the infrastructure deterioration due to the trains’ passage. Therefore, it is essential to acquire a better understanding on how the operation conditions influence the wear evolution of the railway wheels and the consequences of their changing profiles on vehicle–track interaction forces. In this work, a computational tool is used to simulate the dynamic performance of integrated railway systems and to predict the wear evolution of wheel profiles. The tool is applied to realistic operational scenarios with the purpose to evaluate the influence of the track conditions, defined by the track geometry and by its irregularities, on the wear progression of railway wheels. The loads imposed to the railway infrastructure by a trainset running at different velocities, on a track with and without irregularities, and equipped with wheelsets having new and worn profiles is also studied. The studies performed here show that the levels of track irregularities considered have a negligible influence on the wear progression. Furthermore, the loads imposed to the track during trainset operation are not affected by the wear state of the wheels. On the other hand, the track imperfections can affect significantly the vehicle–track interaction forces. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The problem of identification of parameters of a beam-moving oscillator system based on measurement of time histories of beam strains and displacements is considered. The governing equations of motion here have time varying coefficients. The parameters to be identified are however time invariant and consist of mass, stiffness and damping characteristics of the beam and oscillator subsystems. A strategy based on dynamic state estimation method, that employs particle filtering algorithms, is proposed to tackle the identification problem. The method can take into account measurement noise, guideway unevenness, spatially incomplete measurements, finite element models for supporting structure and moving vehicle, and imperfections in the formulation of the mathematical models. Numerical illustrations based on synthetic data on beam-oscillator system are presented to demonstrate the satisfactory performance of the proposed procedure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A numerical model for dynamic vehicle–track interaction at rail welds with longitudinal surface irregularity is presented. In the model, the vehicle and track, except for the rails, are treated as rigid multi-body systems. A Timoshenko beam is used to model the rails which are discretely supported by sleepers. The sleepers are assumed to move backward at a constant speed to simulate the vehicle running along the track at the same speed. The model is applied to calculate the dynamic wheel–rail contact forces and the sizes and locations of the contact areas. A three-dimensional finite element model of rail at welds is then built up to investigate the plastic deformation of rail. The contact forces, the sizes and locations of contact areas obtained by the vehicle–track dynamics simulation are utilized as the inputs to finite element model. The influence of different geometries of rail welds on the dynamic wheel–rail contact forces, stresses and deformations of rail is investigated. The analysis reveals that the train speed and the wavelength and wave depth of the irregularities at rail welds have great effects on the wheel–rail contact forces. The dynamic forces due to the welded rail surface irregularity cause increased plastic deformation not only at the rail weld but also at the base metal near the rail weld. The numerical results obtained are very useful in the tolerance design of welded rail surface irregularity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An efficient algorithm is proposed for non-stationary random vibration of vehicle–bridge systems. The pseudo excitation method (PEM) is extended to handle the random analysis of time-dependent vehicle–bridge systems, for which the statistical characteristics of dynamic responses are computed. A vehicle–bridge interaction element is adopted to reduce the computational effort. In the numerical examples, the proposed method is justified by comparing with Monte Carlo simulation results. Also, a method to estimate maximum responses is suggested. Examples include a train moving across both simply supported and three-span continuous bridges and some observed phenomena are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fatigue cracks in several types of welded joints and geometrical details have been reported to occur in a large number of slender orthotropic decks of existing steel bridges in many parts of the world. Some of these cracks are initiated very early, a few years after the bridge is brought into service. That is why it is said that fatigue life estimation for the welded joints of orthotropic decks is not an easy designing task. This is so because the random variation of local stresses is sensitive to many factors, in particular to those involved in the dynamic interaction between the vehicle’s tyres, the pavement and the steel structure. This paper presents and discusses the main causes for the observed cracks and the outcome of the ultimate fatigue life estimates for typical welded and geometrical details of a slender orthotropic deck with trapezoidal cross-section longitudinal ribs. This is the deck of an existing long-span steel bridge, which has been strengthened by adding a reinforced concrete layer fixed with shear studs to the steel deck top plate. This was done to avoid continued and extensive repair work and to enhance the fatigue life expectancy of the steel deck structure. The fatigue life estimation is done with the aid of refined numerical modelling and in situ experimental strain measurements and also by taking into account all the built-in structural alterations, changes in volume of traffic and in vehicles loading which have occurred during this bridge’s 32 years of service life. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A theoretical and experimental research work in relation to the cable-stayed Barqueta bridge is described in this paper. Barqueta bridge, across Guadalquivir river, links the city of Seville with Scientific Park Cartuja 93. During rush hour cars may cover one half of the bridge lanes for more than one hour. Full-scale tests were carried out to measure the bridge dynamic response. The experimental program included the dynamic study for two different live load conditions: the bridge with one half of its lanes full of cars, and the bridge empty of cars. Modal parameter estimations were made based on the acquired data. Ten vibration modes were identified in the frequency range of 0–6 Hz by different techniques, two of these modes being very close to each other. The traffic–structure interaction is also studied. Experimental results were compared with those obtained from a three-dimensional finite element model developed in this work. Both sets of results show very good agreement. Finally, a damage identification technique has been applied to determine the integrity of the structure. Results obtained from a test developed in July 2005 have been correlated with experimental results obtained in October 2006 using the damage index method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article presents a study on the train stability against crosswinds simulated with different wind models. The work focuses on the evaluation of derailment indexes, which are dependent on the wheel-rail contact forces obtained through dynamic analyses performed with a vehicle-structure interaction methodology. The results obtained using the normative European Committee for Standardization (CEN) Discrete Gust model are compared with those obtained with a turbulent wind model based on stochastically generated wind fields. The calculations are performed considering several heights above the terrain to simulate the behaviour of a train running over a bridge deck located at different elevations. The CEN Discrete Gust model proved to be inaccurate and increasingly conservative, in relation to the Turbulent Wind model, as the height above the ground increases, since the former is based on a fixed turbulence intensity corresponding to the ground level, while the latter considers the correct turbulence intensity dependent on the deck elevation. Based on these results, the present article describes an alternative discrete gust approach that takes into consideration the variable turbulence intensity and terrain category in order to improve its applicability in the evaluation of the train running safety on bridges with decks located at different heights. • Train-structure interaction method to analyse the dynamic coupling system. • Train running safety analysis against crosswinds using different wind models. • Unloading criterion controls safety boundary for lower train speeds. • Limitations of the normative gust model for analyzing running safety on bridges. • Alternative to the CEN gust model to take into consideration different deck heights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]