ABSTRACT
A novel approach is introduced to verify the fatigue safety of existing bridges using monitored data in an explicit way and to predict the future service life. Extending the service life of bridges by following the approach allows for continuous utilization of existing structures rather than their replacement which introduces a novel meaning to the notion of "life cycle'' of civil structures. As part of the transportation infrastructure, bridges add value to the public economy. Parameters controlling structural safety are determined more precisely and, the structural safety of an existing bridge can be proved using so-called updated values for actions and resistance. An important distinction to existing bridge safety verification is that an existing structure can be monitored to determine the real 'action effects' experienced. The railway bridge across the River Rhine at Eglisau in Switzerland was built from 1895 to 1897 for single lane railway traffic.
