The three-day load test on the closed Bad Schandau Elbe bridge will begin on April 1. From Tuesday to Thursday, test drives will be carried out with a remote-controlled heavy-duty module, as announced by the Ministry of Infrastructure. The vehicle will be gradually loaded with up to 50 tons of weight and steered across the bridge at a slow speed.
The load test is intended to test the load-bearing capacity of the structure. The installed measuring systems will be used to determine whether it is possible to reopen the bridge. According to the ministry, a final decision is expected one to a maximum of three weeks after the test. Cars and light trucks up to 3.5 tons as well as special trips for buses could then pass, according to previous information.
Bridge closed since November
The Elbe bridge in Bad Schandau was unexpectedly closed to all traffic on 7 November for safety reasons. Shipping traffic can now pass again without restriction. This was preceded by a special inspection following the partial collapse of Dresden's Carola Bridge.
Henningsdorf prestressing steel is used in both structures. As the bridge in Bad Schandau was built immediately after the Carola Bridge using a similar construction method, it is similarly at risk of stress corrosion cracking, which is considered to be the cause of the collapse in Dresden.
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