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I was going to make some joke about not wanting to be the dude driving over the bridge for the load test - entirely presuming there was some more sophisticated

I was going to make some joke about not wanting to be the dude driving over the bridge for the load test - entirely presuming there was some more sophisticated way to load test new bridges . . . but no: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/load-testing-on-the-huajiang-grand-canyon-bridge-is-in-news-photo/2231947613 https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/load-testing...

jp57 1y ago
I hope the engineering team were riding in the trucks.
- MitPitt 1y ago
  To punish them for building a cool bridge or?
  - freedomben 1y ago
    Well, it's a good way to check their confidence level of their work
  - jp57 1y ago
    It's only a punishment if the bridge falls down. But if someone is making truck drivers drive heavy trucks out onto a bridge to "test" if it will stand up under the load it only seems fair to me that the engineers who designed and built it take the risk alongside them.
    - MitPitt 1y ago
      I'm positive those trucks are self driven. There is no need for draconian measures you hoped for. Spaceship engineers aren't forced to go into space.
      - jp57 1y ago
        If crossing the bridge you built is as dangerous as going into space, you've clearly done something wrong.
  - mitthrowaway2 1y ago
    If you see it as a punishment to be the first to cross the bridge that you designed, then you should probably be increasing the factor of safety in your calculations and the number of site checks you conduct.
  - hackable_sand 1y ago
    Key stone?
mk_stjames 1y ago
They do this to measure load vs deflection and check agreement with models, not to get anywhere close to yield. It's a low end proof check, drive trucks on, measure deflections, drive trucks off, confirm reset of deflection; The margin on actual load to a permanent set is likely 2-3x what those trucks are carrying. And the margin to actual failure from just this quasi static loading and no external environmental loads (wind)... even more so. Unless there was some catastrophic fuck up in construction process or calculations, this is completely safe.
stronglikedan 1y ago
They look so relaxed that a few of them have their feet kicked up on the dash.
tencentshill 1y ago
Calvin's dad was right! https://www.reddit.com/r/calvinandhobbes/comments/u3dqja/how_do_they_know_the_load_limit_on_bridges_dad/ https://www.reddit.com/r/calvinandhobbes/comments/u3dqja/how...

jp57 1y ago

I hope the engineering team were riding in the trucks.

MitPitt 1y ago
To punish them for building a cool bridge or?
- freedomben 1y ago
  Well, it's a good way to check their confidence level of their work
- jp57 1y ago
  It's only a punishment if the bridge falls down. But if someone is making truck drivers drive heavy trucks out onto a bridge to "test" if it will stand up under the load it only seems fair to me that the engineers who designed and built it take the risk alongside them.
  - MitPitt 1y ago
    I'm positive those trucks are self driven. There is no need for draconian measures you hoped for. Spaceship engineers aren't forced to go into space.
    - jp57 1y ago
      If crossing the bridge you built is as dangerous as going into space, you've clearly done something wrong.
- mitthrowaway2 1y ago
  If you see it as a punishment to be the first to cross the bridge that you designed, then you should probably be increasing the factor of safety in your calculations and the number of site checks you conduct.
- hackable_sand 1y ago
  Key stone?

mk_stjames 1y ago

They do this to measure load vs deflection and check agreement with models, not to get anywhere close to yield. It's a low end proof check, drive trucks on, measure deflections, drive trucks off, confirm reset of deflection; The margin on actual load to a permanent set is likely 2-3x what those trucks are carrying. And the margin to actual failure from just this quasi static loading and no external environmental loads (wind)... even more so. Unless there was some catastrophic fuck up in construction process or calculations, this is completely safe.

stronglikedan 1y ago

They look so relaxed that a few of them have their feet kicked up on the dash.

tencentshill 1y ago

Calvin's dad was right! https://www.reddit.com/r/calvinandhobbes/comments/u3dqja/how_do_they_know_the_load_limit_on_bridges_dad/ https://www.reddit.com/r/calvinandhobbes/comments/u3dqja/how...