Objective Now that the first two phases of this project have been completed, there is an urgent need for a more detailed investigation of tolerable loads on bridge structures. The proposed activities therefore centre on the examination of tolerable loads on the structural elements and components of orthotropic carriageway slabs, both under simplified load conditions (graded load) and under variable loads of the type encountered in service, i.e. under load sequences which, according to the results of previous studies, are representative of the traffic loads on European road bridges. The orthotropic carriageway slab is the structural element of a steel bridge in which fatigue problems can be expected to occur soonest, since it is subject to direct axle-load pressure and, consequently, experiences the greatest variations in stress. The design of the connecting elements has a significant influence on the cost of a bridge. In order to be able to withstand competition from concrete bridges, there is an urgent need for the steel industry to find structural solutions for orthotropic steel slabs, which are both economic and reliable. These activities form part of a joint programme involving collaboration with the Universities of Liège and Pisa, the Ponts et Chaussées (Highways Department) Laboratory in Paris, the Technical University in Delft and the Transport Road Research Laboratory, Crowthorne. Programme(s) ECSC-STEELRES 7C - Medium-term guidelines (ECSC) "technical steel research", 1986-1990 Topic(s) F6 - Steel structures Call for proposal Data not available Funding Scheme CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinator Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung eV (FhG) EU contribution No data Address Bartningstraße 47 64289 Darmstadt Germany See on map Total cost No data
