Bridges are a fundamental component of a nation’s critical infrastructure. In Germany, a considerable number of railway bridges are in poor to very poor condition. Due to the advanced age of many structures, specific characteristics such as aged steel materials and riveted connections are common, particularly in historic railway bridges. These features necessitate detailed structural assessment. As part of the research project RISK.twin – Intelligent Critical Technical Infrastructure [1], experimental investigations are being carried out at the Institute of Structural Engineering at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich (UniBw M) on a dismantled railway underpass. This paper presents the experimental setup and provides insights into failure mechanisms and damage development. In addition, the test structure is compared with data from operational railway bridges to place the experimental findings in a broader context.     «

Bridges are a fundamental component of a nation’s critical infrastructure. In Germany, a considerable number of railway bridges are in poor to very poor condition. Due to the advanced age of many structures, specific characteristics such as aged steel materials and riveted connections are common, particularly in historic railway bridges. These features necessitate detailed structural assessment. As part of the research project RISK.twin – Intelligent Critical Technical Infrastructure [1], ex...     »