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Steel Bridge Design Handbook: Load Rating of Steel Bridges
Load rating is defined as the determination of the live load carrying capacity of a bridge using as-built bridge plans and supplemented by information gathered from the latest field inspection. Load ratings are expressed as a rating factor or as a tonnage for a particular vehicle. Emphasis in load rating is on the live-load capacity and dictates the approach of determining rating factors instead of the design approach of satisfying limit states. Existing highway bridges are rated to prioritize a bridge owner’s needs, assure the traveling public’s safety, and facilitate the passage of goods. Bridges that cannot safely carry statutory loads, based on a load-rating evaluation, should be load posted, rehabilitated or replaced. This module informs designers of load ratings, and discusses the load and resistance factor rating (LRFR) methodology used for load rating evaluation.
Content Notes:
The previous version of this Handbook was published as FHWA-IF-12-052 and was developed to be current with the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 5th Edition with the 2010 Interims. FHWA-HIF-16-002 was updated in 2015 by HDR, Inc., to be current with the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications, 7th Edition.
Sections 1 and 3 of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) Bridge De...
According to the 2016 National Bridge Inventory data, the state of Texas houses over 2100 bridges posted at load levels below the legal limit. While l...
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