ABSTRACT
Load testing have traditionally been used to evaluate the structural performance of existing bridges or to verify that newly constructed ones behave as expected. These tests are intrinsically complex, not only for safety reasons, but also for the variety of factors and variables that need to be considered. (e.g., definition of the target load, stop criteria, instrumentation, safety measurements, etc.). However, not all current standards have specific recommendations regarding the procedures that should be followed during this kind of tests. In this paper, an ad-hoc load testing procedure for an existing prestressed box-girder bridge located in northern Sweden is discussed. The procedure is presented in a sequential manner, starting with a brief description of the structure and available information, development of the finite element model (FEM) used to define critical points, design and deployment of the instrumentation plan, and definition of steps to follow on the day of testing. Considering that the structure is located close to the polar arctic circle and the load test was carried out during wintertime, issues specifically related to low temperatures conditions are also addressed.
