How conservative is the Norwegian fatigue load model for service life estimation of railway bridges?

This study presents correction factors for the Norwegian fatigue load model for railway bridges. The fundamental idea of a correction factor is to ensure that the load model induces the same fatigue damage as actual traffic. Load measurements from traffic on a representative line on the Norwegian railway network are used to propose correction factors for improved fatigue life estimation with freight and passenger trains. Correction factors improve the accuracy of the estimated fatigue life and reduce the conservatism of the load model. The validity and conservatism of the most damaging train assumption for fatigue load modeling is also considered. The suitability and consequences of using the proposed correction factors for other lines and historic traffic are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]