STRENGTH ASSESSMENT OF TIMBER BRIDGES - FIELD LOAD TESTING AND LABORATORY INVESTIGATION

Approximately 1400 timber bridges representing a replacement value of $300 million are under the control of Main Roads Western Australia and local government authorities. Main Roads is responsible for the maintenance and structural refurbishment of these structures and regularly installs concrete overlays over the deck timbers and replaces defective stringers and other structural members. Since 1992, load testing has been conducted on 16 bridges by loading bridges with a triaxle trailer loaded to give the legal maximum load of 27 tonnes on the three axles. Overloads of 36 tonnes and 45 tonnes on the triaxle have also been employed. The truck was positioned with the triaxle midspan of each span and in various locations laterally across the deck. In each of these positions the longitudinal strain in the timber stringers was measured by means of portable extensometer devices attached to the tension face. Deflections of the stringers were also recorded. Stringers from some of these bridges have been removed and tested in bending in the laboratory, yielding useful information about the stiffness and strength of these stringers and the load distribution in the bridges. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see IRRD abstract no. 895164.

• Record URL:
  http://arrbknowledge.com
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0855884959
• Corporate Authors:

  Austroads

  Suite 2, Level 9, 287 Elizabeth Street
  Sydney, New South Wales  Australia  2000
• Authors:
  • CHANDLER, I
  • VAN KLEEF, H
• Conference:
  • AUSTROADS BRIDGE CONFERENCE, 1997, SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, VOL 3
• Publication Date: 1997

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 229-39

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Conferences; Field tests; Inspection; Laboratories; Loads; Tests; Vehicles; Wood
• ITRD Terms: 3455: Bridge; 8525: Conference; 6226: In situ; 6237: Laboratory (not an organization); 5567: Load; 9101: Surveillance; 6255: Test; 1255: Vehicle; 4506: Wood (mater)
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00754088
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: ARRB
• ISBN: 0-85588-495-9
• Files: ITRD, ATRI
• Created Date: Oct 27 1998 12:00AM