ABSTRACT
Presently, in Britain, a programme of research is being undertaken to study the behaviour of masonry arch bridges under load. The programme is being funded primarily by SERC, British Rail and the Department of Transport. The aim of the research is to improve the methods of assessing the load-carrying capacity of this type of bridge as present methods appear overly conservative.1,2
The Bolton Institute Arch Research Team has been studying the behaviour of masonry arch bridges for some years as part of the national research programme. The work has encompassed small-and large-scale laboratory tests (up to 6 m span) as well as field tests.
