Knowledge of the loads encountered in existing structures is critical to determining their safety or making life extension decisions. This facilitates a sustainable and resource-saving use of our infrastructures.

In a project for the SBB, we used wheel load measurements to model the speed-dependent loads resulting from locomotives. When measuring, it should be noted that these are not independent at the various measuring points. The consideration of the inter-locomotive and inter-measuring point variability in the data requires special attention in the modelling. The load model of a crossing must also be converted into a distribution of the annual maxima using extreme value statistics.

This modeling can be transferred to other rolling stock and help railway operators to manage their infrastructures even better. In this project, partial safety factors were also calibrated to a target reliability. These can be used directly by engineers when checking existing structures.