This new edition encompasses current design methods used for steel railway bridges in both SI and Imperial (US Customary) units. It discusses the planning of railway bridges and the appropriate types of bridges based on planning considerations.

Perhaps the first book on this topic in more than 50 years, Design of Modern Steel Railway Bridges focuses not only on new steel superstructures but also outlines principles and methods that are useful for the maintenance and rehabilitation of existing steel railway bridges. It complements the recommended practices of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-way Association (AREMA), in particular Chapter 15-Steel Structures in AREMA’s Manual for Railway Engineering (MRE). The book has been carefully designed to remain valid through many editions of the MRE. After covering the basics, the author examines the methods for analysis and design of modern steel railway bridges. He details the history of steel railway bridges in the development of transportation systems, discusses modern materials, and presents an extensive treatment of railway bridge loads and moving load analysis. He then outlines the design of steel structural members and connections in accordance with AREMA recommended practice, demonstrating the concepts with worked examples. Topics include: A history of iron and steel railway bridges Engineering properties of structural steel typically used in modern steel railway bridge design and fabrication Planning and preliminary design Loads and forces on railway superstructures Criteria for the maximum effects from moving loads and their use in developing design live loads Design of axial and flexural members Combinations of forces on steel railway superstructures Copiously illustrated with more than 300 figures and charts, the book presents a clear picture of the importance of railway bridges in the national transportation system. A practical reference and learning tool, it provides a fundamental understanding of AREMA recommended practice that enables more effective design.

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis Report 324: Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems to Limit Traffic Disruption During Construction assesses and documents the use of innovative prefabricated elements and systems and assesses its effects on on-site construction time and cost, closure time, and environmental impacts. The synthesis report also looks at the use of fiber-reinforced polymers and other advanced materials and new technologies that are gaining in popularity but are still in the experimental stages.

The analysis of the stresses in the web of the plate-girder is a complex problem. Here, the author's theory of the distribution of stress in the plate-girder is explained.