Properties of Structural Steels in Historical Railway Bridges by Diagnostic Tests

Over their long service life, steel bridge structures are subjected to functional and material degradations. As a result, these bridges require periodical investigation and assessment of their current resistance. This should be done according to the recommendations of the European Convention for Constructional Steelwork (ECCS), in force since 2008. The paper presents the technical condition of 13 steel bridges built between 1873 and 1890 and 17 bridges from the years 1907 to 1983. The age division given above is prescribed by the great changes in technology and materials which appeared at the turn of the 20th century, the development of structural steel and the appearance of modern higher strength steels in bridge constructions. The mechanical properties of the steels and their chemical compositions are given. The steel test results and conclusions may be useful for others investigating historic steel bridges. © 2022 Ernst & Sohn GmbH.