Title: Moving Load Tests on Three Precast Pretensioned Concrete Railway Bridges

Author(s): V. Sharma, W. L. Gamble, J. Choros, and A. J. Reinschmidt

Publication: Symposium Paper

Volume: 143

Issue:

Appears on pages(s): 25-46

Keywords: bridges (structures); girders; impact strength; slabs; tests; load tests (structural); precast concrete; prestressed concrete; pretensioning; railroad bridges; Structural Research

DOI: 10.14359/4580

Date: 5/1/1994

Abstract:
Load tests were conducted on three recently constructed precast pretensioned concrete railroad bridges. The three bridges tested were instrumented at their centerline of span with concrete strain gages applied to appropriate locations to quantify the bridge behavior and to obtain impact factors. A dedicated test train was used to apply the loading for all the measurements. This train consisted of two locomotives followed by 10 freight cars representative of most common types of cars used in modern freight trains. The test trains had a total gross weight of 1250 tons and a length of 1400 ft and included five platform-type intermodal cars, 89-ft flat cars (TOFC/COFC), and also hopper and box cars. The test train was operated at speeds of up to 70 mph. Paper describes the bridges tested, with special emphasis on field testing techniques and the personal computer-based data acquisition system.