ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: Network Rail owns over 40,000 bridges as part of the main line railway network in the UK. As part of the national highway bridge assessment programme, a number of these bridges have been identified as under strength and require strengthening or replacement. Network Rail has developed procedures and controls over the past five years for the safe implementation of FRP strengthening on the railway bridge stock, with advice from Mouchel Parkman and Tony Gee and Partners in joint venture. This has resulted in the successful strengthening of sixteen cast iron and reinforced concrete railway over line bridges and viaducts, and one reinforced concrete under line bridge, with FRP composites, using a variety of material forms, fabrication and installation methods. The paper discusses the key issues that have been identified as a result of this work, and presents case studies that highlight the design, certification and installation processes that have been used.
1 INTRODUCTION
