TESTING PROCEDURE AND INSTRUMENTATION
The load testing procedure and the type of instrumentation used for the two bridges were essentially the same. The static and dynamic load testing procedures as well as the description of the instrumentation are presented below.
STATIC LOAD TEST PROCEDURE
Each testing vehicle was loaded to an initial weight of 100 kips (24 blocks). Initial readings of all instrumentation were recorded with no vehicles on the structure. The trucks were then driven and placed at predetermined critical load positions on the bridge. For the specified load position, strain and deflection readings were measured and recorded by the host computer. The trucks were then driven off the bridge.
The measured data was immediately analyzed, displayed and compared to the theoretical prediction; this process took approximately ten minutes. If the results of
all strains and deflections were within acceptable limits, the loads could be safely increased. The loads on each truck were increased by 26 kips, the trucks were then driven back onto the same load position on the bridge and readings were again recorded. This procedure was repeated until the trucks weighed 204 kips each.