Full-scale field capacity tests of a railway bridge

This report describes the full scale ultimate load tests of the bearings of the Strawberry Park Bridge in Los Angeles, California. The focus of the project was to identify the extent to which unique railway bridge components, such as rails, ties, ballast and ballast pan, would contribute to the lateral load and displacement capacity during a seismic event. The bridge was tested for lateral failure at both ends. At one end of the bridge, the rails, ballast and ballast pan were removed or severed. The other end of the bridge was left in its original condition. Test results revealed that the railway elements significantly increased the ultimate lateral system capacity of the bridge.