Static and dynamic tests of Salgueiro Maia cable-stayed bridge

Abstract

This paper presents the static and dynamic tests of the Salgueiro Maia cable-stayed bridge, which crosses the Tagus River near Santarém. Some innovative procedures were used during these tests, like an upgraded hydrostatic leveling system to measure vertical displacements or the measurement of the cable forces by the vibrating method and by force cells. The dynamic tests allowed the identification of 32 modes of the natural vibration of the structure, using the technique of output-only modal identification. The experimental results are compared with the analytical values computed with a finite element model of the bridge.