Due to corrosion, the stay cables of the Galecopper Bridge, a crucial link in the Dutch highway network, required replacement. Ongoing cable degradation during the project posed risks of exceeding acceptable limits according to the Dutch assessment code. This paper outlines analytical methods that ensured safety while allowing the project to proceed. A bridge specific traffic model, developed through analysis of and verification of Weigh-in-Motion data optimized traffic load considerations. Additionally, measured permanent loads in the pylon and cables were integrated into Ultimate Limit State verifications. Continuous reassessment of baseline assumptions guided safety management, offering strategies for maintaining operational reliability in aging infrastructure, amid complex repairs.
Ingmarsson et al. (Wed,) studied this question.