Full-scale testing of bascule bridge after 60 years in service

Abstract

The historic Dane River double-leaf bascule steel bridge in Klaipėda was built in the early 1947s and recently retrofitted to provide better physical condition of the structure. The main reason for conducting field testing was to check for the behaviour of refurbished bridge after 60 years of service. Finite element analysis, using program STAAD.Pro, was carried out to determine the load effects and to model the bridge deck behaviour under design loads. A non-destructive static field test was performed using four trucks each weighing approximately 200 kN. The field testing and analysis resulted in the better understanding of loaded bridge behaviour. The real carrying capacity of the bridge was revealed and recommendations on the service conditions of the bridge are presented.