A STATISTICAL APPROACH TO TRAFFIC LOADING ON HIGHWAY BRIDGES

A study of the structural effects caused by traffic loading on highway bridges is presented. The objective is to provide guidance for the selection and calibration of the highway live loads, which are specified for design. Bridge loading events with one, two....five trucks present are simulated separately in five categories. The results are combined to form a probability distribution for each effect. The idealized trucks used in the simulation procedure are mathematical models of 6380 trucks that were weighed and measured during the 1975 truck survey in Ontario. For each effect, the mean largest value and the corresponding coefficient of variation are calculated based on two traffic densities. The largest effects caused by truck queues in traffic jams are predicted also. The effects are divided into three groups based on their sensitivity to multiple presence. For the first and third groups, the largest effects are caused by loading events with one truck and a queue of trucks respectively. For the second group, loading events with two trucks present may be the dominant cause of large effects. In the calibration process the magnitudes of live loads are adjusted in order that their application causes effects approximately proportional to mean largest effects. (TRRL)

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/03151468
• Corporate Authors:

  National Research Council of Canada

  1200 Montreal Road
  Ottawa, Ontario  Canada  K1A 0R6
• Authors:
  • Harman, D J
  • DAVENPORT, A G
• Publication Date: 1979-12

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 494-513
• Serial:
  • Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: National Research Council of Canada
  • ISSN: 0315-1468
  • Serial URL: http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/loi/cjce

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Axle load force; Bridges; Concentrated loads; Design; Highway bridges; Live loads; Loads; Mathematical models; Queuing; Simulation; Statistical analysis; Traffic; Traffic congestion; Traffic density; Traffic flow; Traffic loads; Trucks
• Old TRIS Terms: Truck effects (Bridges)
• ITRD Terms: 3455: Bridge; 5587: Concentrated loading; 9011: Design (overall design); 5567: Load; 1236: Lorry; 6473: Mathematical model; 9103: Simulation; 755: Traffic; 673: Traffic concentration
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Data and Information Technology; Design; Freight Transportation; Highways; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00312296
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 8 1980 12:00AM