Bridges on Interstate System highways are used by a wide variety of traffic. They are designed to support expected loadings. However, as trucks grew heavier in the 1950's and 1960's, something had to be done to protect bridges. The solution was to tie allowable weights to the number and spacing of axles. Axle spacing is as important as axle weight in bridge design. A bridge is analogous to thin ice on a pond. Walking on the ice concentrates a person's weight on the small area covered by the individual's feet, and then the ice may break. Lying down, however, spreads the same weight over a much larger area, and the ice is less likely to break.
Bridge Formula Weights
1994
10 pages
Report
No indication
English
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