Bridge Loading

Introduction

The notes that follow are a simplification of the requirements of the British Standard for Steel,
Concrete and Composite Bridges BS 5400: Part 2 Specification for Loads.

In addition to the requirements of BS 5400, the UK Highways Agency sets its own performance
criteria for highway bridge design, in the Department of Transport's 'Design Manual for Roads
and Bridges'. This 'manual' is not one document but rather a system of documentation,
comprising Departmental Standards and Advice Notes on all design issues.

Departmental Standard BD 37/88 deals with loads for highway bridges.

BD 37 / 88

9 99
o.
bridge design ref. N year of issue

The requirements of Departmental Standards are generally more onerous than those in BS 5400:
Part 2 and must be adhered to in practice.

Guidance on railway bridge loading is also contained in BS 5400: Part 2. Since rail privatisation
in the UK, Railtrack has implemented and modified the codified guidance; performing a similar
rôle to that of the Highways Agency for highway bridges. Railtrack requires loading to be in
accordance with its 'Group Standard' document GC/TT/0112. London Underground has its own
loading specification.

Rail traffic loads are similar in other European countries and the UIC (Union Internationale de
Chemins de Fer) co-ordinates all European standards relating to railway bridge loading.

In order to establish first principles, the requirements of BS 5400: Part 2 will principally be
examined, together with some of the key requirements of the Highways Agency and Railtrack.

Scope

These notes form a simplified version of the Bridge Loading Code and describe the various load
conditions, which apply to the design of highway and rail bridges.

The notes are based on Part 2 of BS 5400 and BD37/88.

Only vertical loads are considered. Horizontal loads (wind, traction/braking etc.) and other loads
such as temperature effects, which are specified in the full Code, are excluded.
Definitions

Loads

Dead Loads are the weights of the parts of the structure that are structural elements.

Superimposed Dead Loads are the weights of all materials on the structure that are not structural
elements - road surfacing, ballast, parapets etc.

Live Loads are the vertical loads due to the traffic (vehicles, locomotives, rolling stock and
pedestrians).

Carriageway and Lanes

The carriageway is the running surface of the road, including all traffic lanes, hard shoulders, and
white line markings. Where there are raised kerbs it is the width between kerbs. In the absence
of kerbs it is the width between safety barriers less a clearance of 0.6 metres in front of each
barrier.

Traffic lanes are the lanes marked on the running surface. They have a maximum width of 3.65
metres.

Highway Loading

Design Loads and Load Factors

The load values given below are nominal loads. These need to be multiplied by appropriate load
factors γfL to derive the design loads.

In general a low factor is applied to loads which are known accurately, such as the weight of
steel, and a higher factor to loads which are less certain, such as live loads. The highest load
factor is applied to the weight of surfacing (superimposed dead load) to allow for the possible
un-intended overlay of additional material in the future. Factors to be applied at the two limit
states are:

Values of γfL

ULS SLS

Dead load (steel) 1.05 1.00

Dead load (concrete) 1.15 1.00
Superimposed dead load 1.75 1.20
Live load (HA alone) 1.50 1.20
 Live load (HA with HB) 1.30 1.10

Dead Loads

The weight of dead load materials may be based on the following specific weights:

3
Steel 77 kN/m
3
Concrete 24 kN/m

Superimposed Dead Loads

2
The weight of a 100 mm thick layer of surfacing may be taken as 2.2 kN/m .

The weight of a parapet may be taken as 0.5 kN/m.

HA Live Loads

HA loading consists of a uniformly distributed load (UDL) and a knife edge load (KEL)
combined.

The magnitudes of these loads are specified in the code. The table and extract from BS 5400:
Part 2 is included in the handouts.

A typical example of how the D.o.T. Standard imposes stricter requirements is shown on the
handout extract from BD 37/88.

It can be seen in both instances that HA loading depends upon the loaded length of the bridge.
This is logical since it is statistically less likely that a long bridge will be loaded to the maximum
intensity over its entire length.

This loaded length will need to be applied at various positions along the length of the bridge,
possibly with different load patterns, in order to evaluate the worst load effects.

For medium span bridges, however, a value of the HA UDL may generally be taken as 30 kN per
linear metre of traffic lane (ie. measured along the bridge), spread uniformly across the lane
width.

However a more thorough analysis will often be necessary to be sure that worst case effects have
been designed for and that over-design has not resulted in an uneconomic structure.

Influence Lines and Loaded Length

Bridges are very load position sensitive. The effect of the applied loads will vary with their
position on the bridge.

Unlike building structures, bridge loads move across the structure. The value of the shear force
and bending moment, at a particular point along the bridge, will therefore depend upon the load
position.

The concept of the 'loaded length' and the use of influence line diagrams needs to be understood
for a proper analysis of bridge load effects.

The UDL is to be applied to a loaded length corresponding to either the positive or negative
portion of an influence diagram relevant to the effects being considered. This means that in a
two-span bridge, the loaded length should be positioned in the span for worst span moments but
should be applied over the central pier for maximum support reactions. Simply applying a UDL
across the whole bridge, with a load intensity appropriate to the whole length, will not
necessarily be the worst case.

The value of the KEL may be taken as 120 kN spread along a line across the width of the lane. It
is to be applied where it will cause maximum moment or shear at the position in the bridge
which is being checked.

HB Live Loads

The HB vehicle represents an abnormal vehicle and consists of a group of sixteen identical wheel
loads arranged as shown in the figure below.

A >unit= of HB loading corresponds to four axles and should be taken as equal to 10 kN per
axle; each axle has four equally loaded wheels. The overall length of the HB vehicle is taken as
10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 m corresponding to inner axle spacings of 6, 11, 16, 21 or 26 m respectively.
The effects of the most severe of these cases must be adopted. The overall vehicle width is taken
as 3.5 m. In all cases, the longitudinal axis of the HB vehicle is taken as parallel to the lane
markings. Either 30, 37.5 or 45 units of HB loading are normally specified, corresponding to
total vehicle loads of 1200, 1500 or 1800 kN.

The HB vehicle replaces one lane of HA loading and is positioned for worst effect.

However, for the purposes of a simple design it is suggested that HB loading may be ignored.
 Dimensions of HB vehicle, taken from BS 5400: Part 2

Multiple Lanes

Full HA loading should be applied in up to two lanes on the bridge. When there are more than
two lanes, the extra lanes should be loaded with 60% of HA loading.

The choice of which lanes are loaded with full HA and which are loaded with 60% HA should be
made such that the maximum bending moment or shear force is produced in the part of the
structure which is being designed.

Footway and Cycle Track Live Load

The unit live loads are to be taken as:

2
a) loaded length # 30 m : 5.0 kN/m
2
b) loaded length > 30 m : k x 5.0 kN/m

where

A modified version of this expression is given in BD 37/88 and is included in the handouts.

The values for γfL are: ULS SLS

1.5 1.0

Railway Loading

Vertical Forces

Two types of vertical load are specified in BS 5400: Part 2: Section 8:

 RU loading
A specified static load applied to main line
railways of standard gauge.
80 kN/m UDL on each side of 4 x 250 kN Point
Loads - see diagram below.
Further detail is given in Appenix D.
The specified load is multiplied by a dynamic
factor (see table below) to give the effect of a real
train.
RL loading
A specified static load appropriate to passenger
transit systems eg. London Underground.
1. For loaded lengths up to 100m:
50 kN/m UDL plus a 200 kN Point Load
2. For loaded lengths over 100m:
As above but 50 kN/m reduced to 25 kN/m
beyond the central 100m.
- see diagram below.
Further detail is given in Appenix D.
The specified load is multiplied by a simple
dynamic factor given in cl.8.2.3.2:
1.2 generally
1.4 for un-ballasted tracks
 Loading diagrams, taken from BS 5400: Part 2

Dynamic factor for RU Loading

Dimension L (m) bending moment shear

up to 3.6 2.00 1.67

3.6 to 67

over 67 1.00 1.00

Note: L = the length of the influence line for deflection (see Table 16 from BS 5400: Part 2 below).

Dynamic factor table for RU Loading, based on Table 15 in BS 5400: Part 2

 Table 16 for dimension L, taken from BS 5400: Part 2

Lurching

The motion of a train results in a side-to-side movement known as 'lurching'. As a consequence,

there is a transfer of load from one rail to another, which in turn leads to transient increases (and
decreases) in load on parts of the supporting structure.

The dynamic factor for RU loading allows for 'lurching'.

For RL loading, some redistribution of load is made on one track, where structural members
support two tracks. One rail carries 0.56 of the track load and the other 0.44 of the track load.
Lurching is ignored when members support more than two tracks.

Load Tables

A more detailed explanation of the origins of RU and RL loading is given in Appendix D of BS

5400: Part 2. In particular, there are useful tables giving equivalent uniformly distributed loads
(EUDL's) and end shear forces, for a range of bridge spans. The handouts contain Tables 20 to 23
for RU loading.