Re: Sydney Harbour Bridge Questions

[billboltonREMOVE-TO-EMAIL@computer.org (Bill Bolton)]

"David & Jan Winter" <winterd@icenet.com.au> wrote:

> One suspects that the load test was progressive, and that excessive
> deflection might have been noticed early. Nonetheless, it would have put in
> with the Westgate Bridge class of major events in our history!

The test was never in any danger of damaging the bridge as the full
locomotive load was still way, way below the rated load specification.
It was simply a way of determining how the actual deflection for any
given load matched the theoretical design deflection for that load.
As far as I recall, the match was very close, which is what would have
been expected by the engineers.

Cheers,

Bill