Field load testing and modeling of a strengthened timber trestle railroad bridge

In the United States many existing timber trestle railroad bridges have been in service for between 40 to over 100 years. During that time period, train loads have increased significantly. This paper describes the load tests of such a bridge before and after it was strengthened and selected results and findings. Static, ramp, and rolling train loads were used before the strengthening and rolling train tests were used afterward. The goal is to better understand load paths, examine behavior under current load levels, and examine the benefits of strengthening. The objective is to reduce the extent of strengthening needs in the national inventory.