LOAD TESTING OF THE WASHINGTON & MAIN STREET RAILROAD BRIDGE

The Washington & Main Street Railroad Bridge is located in downtown Norwalk, Connecticut, on the heavily traveled northeast corridor mainline. Designed in 1895, the bridge is a single span steel structure consisting of three parallel through trusses, each separated by two tracks. Because of the bridge's age, importance and heavy service load, it was necessary to verify structural performance and integrity. This was, in part, accomplished using strain-gage instrumentation. Load testing was performed by recording member stresses under normal service live load conditions. Measured results exposed that stress distribution varied significantly among multiple-eyebar tension members. Also, measured horizontal force equilibrium at several nodal points did not close. Based on this result, the floor system is suspected of contributing out-of-plane horizontal force distribution. Measured data indicated translational resistance at the expansion bearings. The investigation concluded that the bridge is in good structural health and well equipped for service into the twenty-first century. Methodology and results from the load testing/instrumentation program are presented.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/1566769493
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This entry in the TRIS database is made from the hardback copy of the conference proceedings, which are also available on CD-ROM.
• Corporate Authors:

  Technomic Publishing Company, Incorporated

  851 New Holland Avenue, Box 3535
  Lancaster, PA  United States  17604
• Authors:
  • Yost, J R
  • Assis, G
• Conference:
  • Structural Materials Technology IV - An NDT Conference
  • Location: Atlantic City, New Jersey
  • Date: 2000-2-28 to 2000-3-3
• Publication Date: 2000

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 241-246

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Deformation curve; Live loads; Load tests; Performance; Railroad bridges; Steel; Strain gages; Stresses; Trusses
• Uncontrolled Terms: Horizontal force distribution; Structural integrity
• Subject Areas: Materials; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00793131
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 1566769493
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 5 2000 12:00AM