Title: A Comparison of AASHTO Bridge Load Rating Methods
Abstract: The capacity of an existing highway bridge is traditionally quantified with a load rating factor. This factor, when multiplied by the design live load magnitude, describes the total live load a bridge can safely carry. Visual bridge inspections provide engineers with information to quantify the degradation in structural integrity of a bridge (i.e., the reduction in C). The trends in RJF over time can be employed by bridge owners to make decisions regarding bridge maintenance and replacement. For example, when a bridge is first constructed, RF=1.3 means that a bridge can safely carry 1.3 times the weight of its design live load (i.e., that C-D, the existing capacity after accounting for dead load, is 1.3 times the design live load L). If the RF decreases to 0.8 after 20 years of service, deterioration of the primary structural components has most likely occurred and rehabilitation or replacement should be considered.
Publication Year: 2009
Publication Date: 2009-04-29
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 1
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