Load Testing of a Large Viaduct

Abstract

This paper presents the static and dynamic testing of the Loureiro Viaduct, located at the A10 highway, near Lisbon. Some innovative procedures were used during these tests, like an upgraded hydrostatic levelling system to measure vertical displacements or accelerometers to measure rotations. The dynamic tests allowed the identification of 25 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 by the FE model developed.