Load rating of highway bridges by proof-loading

Aging and lack of maintenance are a matter of increasing concern for most bridges that are part of the road and railway systems of the European Union. Many of these bridges are very old and without documentation and as a consequence load rating by analytical tools is not possible. This paper explains how a possible way to assess their capacity is by means of a so-called “proof load test”. The work was developed as part of the Project ARCHES (Assessment and Rehabilitation of Central European Highway Structures) funded by the VI Framework Program of the European Union. A methodology of proof load testing for existing highway bridges is proposed and applied to the traffic conditions of several European Countries. The final objective is to provide guidance on the appropriate target proof load to be used based in very simple parameters of the bridge as span-length and percentage of heavy traffic.

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