Heavy axle railway loads (freight equipment with more than a 100-ton capacity and gross vehicle weights exceeding 263,000 lb) have been introduced extensively on North American Class I freight railroads in the past decade. An overview is presented of the effects of heavy axle loads on the fatigue life of steel bridges in the North American freight railroad infrastructure. Also outlined are life extension and rehabilitation techniques typically used to maintain the safety and reliability of existing steel railway bridges.
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