Title: Pergolas for high speed rail crossings

Author(s): Bellod, J. L.; Tanner, P.

Publication: ACHE

Volume: 62

Issue: 259

Appears on pages(s): 91 - 103

Keywords: obliquity, pergola, construction details, ductility, stress fields.

DOI:

Date: 1/1/2011

Abstract:
Pergolas are the most common typology used in split level junctions with a small skew angle, for the distances to be spanned in this solution are shorter than in any other. Unless sufficient attention is paid to the general conception and construction details, however, these structures may be less than ideal, aesthetically or structurally speaking. The formal and functional versatility of this typology is discussed in the context of three designs to illustrate how consistency, both overall and in the respective details, can dignify these structures without significantly increasing construction costs. The pergolas described range from reinforced or prestressed in situ decks to continuous precast beams, with deck typology and foundations being adapted to the prevailing circumstances. Finally, structural engineering-related considerations as well as the application of stress field analysis to structural detail dimensioning are addressed.