Expanded range of testing of soil-steel bridge with use moving loads

Abstract

n this paper the results of the live load tests of soil steel bridge are presented. The structure was designed with use of the largest possible corrugation type UltraCor. Parameters of analysed structure were referred to the current record structures in the term of span. Standard test procedure have been expended to check the efficiency of the position-changing loads i.e live loads but in a quasi-static approach. The measuring base was the upper part of the shell periphery equipped with inductive and dial gauges to determine deflections at regular layout. Paper presents another example of the formation of “hysteresis loop” where the live load is passing back and forth along the same path. In the case of a dense layout of measuring points it is possible to use a differential algorithm to estimate the bending moments in corrugated steel plates. Analysed case shows that the internal forces and displacements due to the live loads are much smaller than during construction. The purpose of the paper is to indicate the specific behaviour of soil-steel structures in relation to classical arch bridges.