Reliability-Based Truck Weight Regulation of Small- to Medium-Span Bridges

Abstract

Truck weight regulations maintain controls on the actual truck-load characteristics and can further affect the serviceability of constructed infrastructures. To investigate the truck weight regulations of small- to medium-span bridges, a reliability-based analysis method was first established. Second, the truck-load characteristics were investigated based on long-term weigh-in-motion (WIM) data, and the typical truck types were extracted. Third, the threshold values of the truck-load effect corresponding with different target reliability indices (TRIs) and coefficients of variance (COVs) were obtained based on the established analysis method. Finally, the weight limit of each truck type was derived by inverse calculation with a self-developed software program. The influences of TRI and COV on the weight limit are discussed according to the analysis results. Some recommendations are provided for the optimization of Chinese truck weight regulations and U.S. bridge formulas.