LOAD TEST ON A PRESTRESSED CONCRETE CANTILEVER BOX GIRDER BRIDGE

The paper describes the salient features of the load test procedure adopted for observing the structural adequacy of one of the cantilever spans of a prestressed concrete cantilever box girder bridge constructed over river brahmaputra near tezpur. The acceptance load test on the bridge was made a prerequisite to check the deficiency in the design assumptions if any and in the quality of construction. One cantilever span of the bridge was subjected to a total load of 375 tonne during acceptance test which was probably the heaviest load applied so far for acceptance load test of a bridge in the world. The test was conducted for the first time on a prestressed cantilever box girder bridge by adopting a simple reliable and convenient method for measuring large deflections of the superstructure, rotation of supporting pier due to live load. Necessary correction for temperature effects were duly considered in the measurements of deflection.(a)