BRIDGING THE WEIGHT GAP

This article reports on the current confusion about bridge assessment codes in the United Kingdom, and considers that it seems likely to continue indefinitely under present British Government policies. The problem relates to bridges owned by railway and canal authorities; local authorities have for a long time been complaining about their liability to pay for their strengthening. County and trunk road bridges are assessed under the 1984 Code of Assessment BD21/84, (IRRD No 812111) which specifies standards to cope with 38 tonne lorries and has since been upgraded to 40 tonne vehicles. However, this standard does not apply to bridges owned by railway and canal authorities, which must comply with the much laxer 1967 Bridge Assessment Code BE4. Thus the counties and metropolitan districts must pay to bring weak bridges up to the 40 tonne BD21/84 standard. Recently, the County Surveyors Society has recommended that the BD21/84 code should apply to the assessment of bridges over railways and canals, and that the weight limits specified should be those of current Construction and Use Regulations. The Government has so far refused to fund the upgrading of these bridges, and is reluctant to pass the bill on to British Rail, due to its possible privatisation.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00396303
• Corporate Authors:

  Reed Business Information, Limited

  Quadrant House, The Quadrant
  Brighton Road
  Sutton, Surrey  United Kingdom  SM2 5AS
• Authors:
  • REEDS, J
• Publication Date: 1990-6-28

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 7
• Serial:
  • SURVEYOR
  • Volume: 173
  • Issue Number: 5101
  • Publisher: Hemming Group, Limited
  • ISSN: 0039-6303

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Finance; Financing; Local government; Railroad bridges; Repairing; Specifications; Strength of materials; Structural strengthening
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• Old TRIS Terms: Canal bridges
• ITRD Terms: 3085: Bearing capacity; 3455: Bridge; 9108: Improvement; 3635: Repair; 177: Specifications; 5544: Strength (mater); 8119: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00617357
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 30 1991 12:00AM