ABSTRACT
It is well known that dynamic effects cause increased load effects in bridge decks due to Vehicle Bridge Interaction. A new static load model has been developed at Stellenbosch University which uses Weigh in Motion data measured on National Route 3. This paper presents a comprehensive review of international norms and recent research which shows that dynamic amplification may not be as high as initially thought. A lower dynamic amplification factor could imply that the free flowing traffic assumption, on which most load models are based, may not hold true for all load effects and span lengths. A dynamic amplification factor for South African traffic is proposed based on traffic states, bridge characteristics, road surface roughness and vehicle characteristics.
