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3/8/2011 HA and HB Bridge LOADING

Proje cts Site Map C onta ct Us David Childs B.Sc.,C.Eng.,MICE Go

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Design Notes
Abutments HA and HB Type Loading
Bearings
History
Deck
The first standard vehicle load for highway bridges in the UK was introduced in 1922. British Standards
Drainage
introduced a traffic live load requirement in BS 153 Part 3 in 1923, which was later revised in 1925 and
Foundations
1937. The Type HA uniformly distibuted loading was introduced in 1945 and the concept of a Type HA and
Joints HB load was included in the 1954 edition of BS 153: Part 3A. In 1961 the HB load was specified in terms
Parapets of units and varied depending on the class of road, with 45 units required for Motorways and Trunk Roads
Piers and 37.5 units for class i and class ii roads. A requirement for all public roads to be designed for at least
Wing Walls 30 units of HB was introduced in 1973.

HA Loading
Design C alculations
BD 37/01 of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges says that Type HA loading is the normal design
loading for Great Britain and adequately covers the effects of all permitted normal vehicles other than
Design those used for abnormal indivisible loads. Normal vehicles are governed by the Road Vehicles
Spreadsheets
(Authorised Weight) Regulations 1998, referred to as the AW Vehicles and cover vehicles up to 44 tonne
gross vehicle weight. Loads from these AW vehicles are represented by a uniformly distributed load and a
Tutorials
knife edge load. The loading has been enhanced to cover:
Abutment Design i) impact load (caused when wheels 'bounce' i.e. when striking potholes or uneven expansion joints).
Grillage Analysis ii) overloading
HA & HB Loading iii) Lateral bunching (more than one vehicle occupying the width of a lane).
Influence Lines The magnitude of the uniformly distributed load is dependent on the loaded length as determined from
Prestressed the influence line for the member under consideration. For simply supported decks this usually relates to
C oncrete Beams the span of the deck.
Steel Beams

HB Loading
Workshop
BD 37/01 of the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges says that Type HB loading requirements derive
from the nature of exceptional industrial loads (e.g. electrical transformers, generators, pressure vessels,
Welcome machine presses, etc.) likely to use the roads in the area.
The vehicle load is represented by a four axled vehicle with four wheels equally spaced on each axle. The
Bridge Pictures load on each axle is defined by a number of units which is dependant on the class of road. Motorways and
C odes and Books trunk roads require 45 units, Principal roads require 37.5 units and other public roads require 30 units.
One unit of HB is equal to 10kN per axle. There are five HB vehicles to check although most vehicles can
Links

DAVID CHILDS B.SC., C.ENG., MICE

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