| Medium: |
conference paper |
| Language(s): |
English
|
| Conference: |
IABSE Conference: Engineering the Past, to Meet the Needs of the Future, Copenhagen, Denmark, 25-27 June 2018 |
| Published in: |
IABSE Conference Copenhagen 2018 |
|
Page(s):
|
248-255
|
Total no. of pages: |
8 |
|
|
Page(s):
|
248-255
|
| Total no. of pages: |
8 |
| DOI: |
10.2749/copenhagen.2018.248 |
|
Abstract:
|
Opened in 1964 as the longest-span suspension bridge outside the USA, the Forth Road Bridge is a
crucial connection between south-east and north-east Scotland. Greatly increased traffic loading
caused a fatigue fracture, in December 2015, in one of its eight truss end links which support the
deck ends at the towers, resulting in the closure of the bridge. Following implementation of an
emergency repair to enable the bridge to re-open quickly, it was necessary to implement a reliable
long-term fix to avoid a re-occurrence at any link location. An innovative solution was developed,
incorporating free-sliding bearings designed to resist high uplift forces and accommodate large
deck movements and significant rotations, with adequate durability considering the bearings’ very
long cumulative sliding path of 16 km per year. The bearings were also required to be pre-fitted
with structural health monitoring sensors. The challenge and the solution are described.
|
|
Keywords:
|
bearing repair Forth Road Bridge Truss End link integrated SHM
|
