Performance load testing: an alternative cost-effective risk management tool to manage existing old bridges

The paper presents the findings from a study of two steel girder bridges tested by the Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW (RTA). In 1998 under Mass Limit Review (MLR) RTA carried out a proof load test on the bridge over Redbank Creek at North Richmond. In 2004 RTA carried out a performance load test of a similar steel girder bridge at Toongabbie, Sydney. The objective of the paper is to demonstrate that performance load test, which can be carried out at a lower cost, can be used to determine the capacity of a bridge for a specific load, with some limitation. Accordingly, performance load testing can be incorporated in the hierarchical system of load assessment of bridges to minimise the operating risk in an environment of increasing legal loads. (a) For the covering entry of this conference, please see ITRD abstract no. E214936.