Further increases in transport productivity will be limited until the safety of an aging bridge infrastructure to carry these heavier loads can be proven or those bridges that are identified as the weak links in the system are either strengthened or replaced. Analytical techniques when used to load ram bridges often result in conservative estimates of bridge capacity through the cumulative effect of conservative assumptions regarding the often unknown performance characteristics of old, deteriorating bridges. Bridges identified with insufficient load carrying capacity through analytical procedures can often be demonstrated as having sufficient load carrying capacity by the utilisation of bridge proof loading utilisation of bridge proof loading technology. This paper discusses the development of a proof loading facility in Australia and presents the findings from some of the six proof loads conducted in 1995. It concludes that proof loading technology is an important tool in the pro-active risk management of an infrastructure of aging bridges and that its effective utilisation will provide significant benefits to bridge owners, the transport industry and the enterprises that rely on their efficient, safe operation as well as the community. (A)
Abstract