Maximum Load Capacity 3,360 Tons! World's Highest Bridge Undergoes Static Load Test with 96 Vehicles

Over the past two days, the world's highest bridge—the Huajiang Canyon Bridge—has been undergoing load tests, a "critical examination" before its opening to traffic. Load testing is a key process to verify the structural safety and load-bearing capacity of a bridge before it becomes operational, often referred to as a "comprehensive physical examination" of the bridge. The load tests for the Huajiang Canyon Bridge are mainly divided into static load tests and dynamic load tests.

This morning (August 25), the Huajiang Canyon Bridge entered the final phase of the static load test, with 96 test trucks being loaded. The vehicles entered symmetrically from both ends of the bridge in five batches and parked along the bridge's centerline. The test fleet proceeded onto the bridge in batches of 24 → 48 → 72 → 84 → 96 vehicles. Each truck weighed 35 tons, resulting in a total load of approximately 3,360 tons on the bridge. In this manner, the inspection team simulated heavy traffic congestion to examine the stress strain, deflection, displacement, and cable force of key parts of the bridge's systems under load.

Previously, the bridge underwent static load tests with 18 and 48 vehicles, as well as dynamic load tests. Preliminary analysis of the data by the inspection team indicates that all results are within the calculated limits.