Load tests of a cable-stayed bridge in Coimbra, Portugal

Field load testing is an effective method to evaluate bridge performance and to calibrate structural models. This paper presents the load tests of the cable-stayed Rainha Santa Isabel Bridge which crosses the Mondego River near Coimbra, in Portugal. During these tests, several parameters were measured, like vertical displacements of the deck, horizontal displacements of the mast, rotations, strains and stay forces. Different types of equipment were used in order to get more accurate measurements. The experimental results are compared with the analytical values computed with a finite element model of the bridge.