Testing of a temporary railway bridge and analysis of the results

The main purpose of bridge testing, an obligatory step before putting a railway bridge in operation, is to ensure that the used theoretical model is in accordance with the actual behaviour of the structure. Furthermore, bridge testing can point to some problems or inaccuracies due to construction.

Even though temporary bridges typically have shorter spans, they have relatively low self-weight and the main strains are caused by live loads. Therefore, bridge testing is particularly important to ensure the proper performance of such structures.

This paper outlines some major steps of the testing process and draws conclusions based on a temporary railway bridge located along the Kalotina Highway in Bulgaria.