Bridge Load Rating Analysis

Evans Road Bridge serves three residences in Gwynedd Valley, PA and spans over Trewellyn Creek. Keller Engineers’ responsibility involved conducting a structural assessment of the bridge to determine its potential for supporting an increased load capacity. Previously, the bridge had a load posting of 5 tons. The client’s goal was to raise this to at least 20 tons to ensure that the bridge could adequately support the loads from emergency service vehicles such as fire trucks and ambulances.

Upon completion of inspection, our design team performed a comprehensive structural analysis of the existing members and bridge material to assess the strength of the bridge components. We calculated and rated the bridge’s load posting to handle up to 40 tons, far exceeding the minimum requirement. This analysis involved the use of various structural engineering software and detailed load calculations, which enabled us to determine if the existing bridge can support the necessary emergency service vehicles.