Muhammad Adeel Arshad

Abstract:This paper discusses different Live Load Models currently in practice for the design of highway bridges in Pakistan. These include the models from the Pakistan Code of Practice for Highway Bridges 1967 and American Association of State Highways and Transportation Officials Load Resistance Factored Design, Bridge Design Specifications. To study the effect of these Live Load Models, a typical simply supported RC-girder bridge having 12.8 meter span was selected as a case study. A weigh station was installed in field from which load data of various trucks were recorded. Then line analysis was performed by taking the Live Load Models currently in practice, the actual live loads traversing the bridge and the legal load limits specified by the National Highway Authority, Pakistan. The results show that the highway loading in Pakistan produces much greater load effects than anticipated from the 1967 bridge design code usually used for their design.

International Journal of Bridge Engineering, Vol. 4, No. 3, 2016: pp. 49-60