IABMAS Technical Committee on Bridge Load Testing
Mission:
Bridge Load Testing is a field testing technique that can be used to obtain more information about the performance of bridges. In particular, diagnostic load tests can be used to quantify elements of structural performance such as transverse distribution, unintended composite action, repair effectiveness, etc. and the information of a diagnostic load test can serve to develop field-validated models of existing bridges that can be used to develop a more accurate assessment of the bridge’s performance. Proof load testing can be used to demonstrate directly that a bridge can carry a load that is representative of the required live load, provided that the bridge does not show signs of distress. Other types of load testing include testing for dynamic properties, and parameter-specific tests. Load test data as well as the analytical assessment of the data can be used to make more informed decisions and manage the life-cycle performance and maintenance of bridges.
Aspects of bridge load testing that are of particular interest to bridge owners are having an overview of the typical uses for bridge load tests, the decision on when to load test or not, which information to obtain from the load test, and how this information can be used to reduce the uncertainties regarding the tested bridge. This committee is eager to learn about and disseminate the potential for applying new technologies for bridge load testing through learning from technologies used in other industries.
Associated with bridge load testing, the following topics are also of importance to this committee: instrumentation used during load testing and the interpretation of the obtained measurements during the load test, determination of required load, method of load application, methods of updating assessments using collected field data, the link between load testing and structural health monitoring, the uncertainties (probabilistic aspects as well as risks during test execution) associated with load testing, the interpretation of load test results, laboratory testing of bridge components to improve assessment methods in the field, and optimization of related costs keeping adequate reliability to spread their use worldwide.
The IABMAS Bridge Load Testing Committee aims to be an international committee of participants from academia, industry, and bridge owners, which provides a forum for the exchange of ideas on bridge load testing. Best practices as well as the insights from the development of national codes and guidelines will be exchanged among participants from countries that use load testing for the assessment of their existing bridges, those who are exploring the possibilities of this method, and those who are in the process of standardizing the procedures or developing guidelines.
Goals:
- Organize dedicated sessions to the topic of load testing at IABMAS conferences.
- Develop national IABMAS group events on the topic of load testing.
- Exchange information on the use of load testing in different countries.
- Exchange lessons learned and best practices.
- Inform about case studies of bridge load testing.
- Communicate load testing guides or standards that have been developed.
- Unify terminology and definitions associated directly with load testing of bridges.
- Provide a forum for new ideas and applications of technology.
- Identify potential research topics.
- Establish international collaborations.
- Liaise with relevant committees internationally outside of IABMAS and liaise with the national IABMAS groups.
Members:
Delft University/ Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Diego de Robles y Pampite
Sector Cumbaya
Pichincha, EC170157 Quito, Ecuador
BDI
740 S pierce Ave., STE 15
80027 Louisville, USA
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.
School of Civil Engineering
C/Jordi Girona 1-3, 8034, Barcelona, Spain
Waseda University
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
3-4-1 Okubo Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo 169-8555, Japan
Technical Consultant and COO
Prospect Solutions, LLC
9 Stedman Way
Loudonville, NY 12211, USA
EPFL
Avenue de Rumine 27, 1005, Lausanne, Switzerland
B&S ENGG. CONSULTANTS PVT. LTD.
315-316, Vishal Chambers, Sector 18,
Noida, U.P-201301, India
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Politecnico di Milano
P.za L. da Vinci, 32 - 20133 Milan, Italy
University of Sao Paulo
Rua Diego de Castilho 111, ap. 41
05704-070 Sao Paulo, Brazil
Empa-Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology
Ueberlandstrasse 129, 8600, Duebendorf, Switzerland
Trafikverket
Box 809, 97125, Lulea, Sweden
Federal University of Minas Gerais
Av. Antonio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte,
31.270-901, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Technical University of Catalonia-BARCELONATECH
School of Civil Engineering
c/Jordi Girona 1-3. Modulo C1
08034 Barcelona, Spain
James fisher Strainstall (Strainstall Monitoring)
James fisher Strainstall, Unit 10, City Business Park,
Easton Road, BS5 0SP, Bristol, United Kingdom
University of Zagreb Faculty of Civil Engineering
Far. Andrije Kacica Miosica 26, 10000, Zagreb, Croatia
Fazlur Khan Endowed Chair
Center for Advanced Technology for Large Structural
Systems (ATLSS Center)
117 ATLSS Drive, Imbt Labs
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA 18015-4729, USA
University of Delaware
127 The Green, 360H DuPont Hal,
19716, Newark, United States
General Manager: Consulting Services
Infratech Systems & Services
324 Bank Street, West End
Queensland 4101, Australia
University of Surrey
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Guildford, GU2 7XH Surrey, UK
Seoul National University
599 Gwanak-ro Gwanak-gu,
151-744, Seoul, Korea Rep.
CTLGroup
5400 Old Orchard Rd, 60077, Skokie, USA
MKP GmbH
Werftstrasse 17, 30163, Hannover, Germany
Public Works Ministry - Bridge Department
Morande 71, First Mezzanine Floor
8340652 Santiago, Chile
Universidad del Valle
Calle 13 #100-00, Building E48, Office 2021,
760032, Santiago de Cali, Colombia
Florida International University
16713 Amber Lake, 33331, Weston, United States
Associate Professor
Road and Bridge Research Institute
Instytutowa 1
03-302 Warszawa, Poland
Faculty of Civil Engineering, CTU in Prague
Trákurova 7, Praha 6
16629, Praha, Czech Republic
Silesian University of Technology
Ul. Akademicka 5
44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Lule EUniversity of Technology
Lule Etekniska universitet, 97187 Lule E Sweden
Aalborg University
Thomas Mans vej 23, 9220
Aalborg Ø, Denmark
Kyoto University
C3-b4S14, Katsura Campus, Kyoto University,
Nishikyo-Ku, 615-8540, Kyoto, Japan
TTES, Representative Director
153-0051, Meguro-ku Tokyo, Japan
Road Department - Public Works
Ministry of Chile
Morand E71, Entrepiso Sur
Santiago, Metropolitana, Chile
vnglrs
Miletičova 559/21, SK-82108, Bratislava, Slovakia
The University of Oklahoma
2200 Classen Boulevard, The Edge Apartments,
73071, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
Portland State University
Portland, OR, USA
Delft University of Technology
Stevinweg 1, 2628CN, Delft, the Netherlands
Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute
ZAG Ljubljana
Dimiceva 12
SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Minutes of First Meeting (online, June 2021)
Minutes of Fall 2021 Meeting (online, October 2021)
Minutes of Spring 2022 Meeting (online, April 2022)
Minutes of IABMAS 2022 Meeting (Barcelona & online, July 2022)
Minutes of Fall 2022 Meeting (online, October 2022)
Minutes of Spring 2023 Meeting (online, April 2023)
Minutes of Fall 2023 Meeting (online, November 2023)
Minutes of Spring 2024 Meeting (online, April 2024)
Minutes of IABMAS 2024 Meeting (Copenhagen & online, June 2024)
Minutes of Fall 2024 Meeting (online, December 2024)