Extending the Service Life of Timber Railway Bridges

Times of downturn in economy, tough competition, high costs, and large amounts of capital required for replacements have created growing need for cost cutting measures and for seeking better return on investment. This has also placed an increasing emphasis on maintenance practices to extend the service life of existing railroad bridges. This paper outlines the various factors which playa role in the degradation of timber bridges and the measures that are necessary to effectively extend the usefulness of such bridges. Method of evaluating the residual capacity and categorizing maintenance into preventive, early remedial and major are discussed. The paper concludes that railroad bridges are cost·effective structures whose service life could be prolonged significantly by timely and proper maintenance provided that they were adequately designed and constructed.