Taiwan high-speed Railway

Year: 2002-2003 - Location: Taipei - Zuoying, Taiwan

Consulting services for the design of the indirect foundation system for high-speed train viaducts.

The Taiwan High Speed Rail line runs approximately 345km from Taipei in northern Taiwan to Kaohsiung in the south and passes through or close to Taiwan’s main cities. Three-quarters of Taiwan’s population live along the HSR corridor. A deep seismic investigation has been required as a consequence of the 7.6 Magnitude earthquake which struck Taiwan in September 1999 and which resulted in the loss of over 2500 lives and the collapse of many buildings and bridges. Subsequent review of ground motion data recorded during the 921 Chi-Chi earthquake resulted in significant revisions to the seismic provisions within the Chinese Building Code.

Subsequently consulting services were provided for the Independent Checkers to provide an assessment procedure for the increased expected maximum acceleration peak with respect to the contractual one. Moreover the analyses have to certify that the HSR viaduct structures will only suffer ‘repairable damage’ in the event of a Maximum Credible Earthquake.