Use of IS EN 1991-1-7 For The Design of The Accidental Actions
Use of IS EN 1991-1-7 For The Design of The Accidental Actions
Use of IS EN 1991-1-7 For The Design of The Accidental Actions
DN-STR-03013
April 2017
TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IRELAND (TII) PUBLICATIONS
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TII Publication Title Use of IS EN 1991-1-7 for the Design of the Accidental
Actions
TII Publication Number DN-STR-03013
TII Publications
Contents
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1
3. References ................................................................................................................... 7
......................................................................................................................... 8
HCV/Bridge Collision Photographs ............................................................................... 8
....................................................................................................................... 11
Guidance for steel and steel / composite bridge decks ............................................... 11
....................................................................................................................... 14
Background information to impact loading .................................................................. 14
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Amendment Details:
Reference to 4.5m setback has been removed.
Tables 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 added to the document, relating to loading.
References to gantry structures have been removed from this document.
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Contents Table
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 General ............................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Scope ................................................................................................................. 1
1.3 Implementation ................................................................................................... 1
3. References ................................................................................................................... 7
3.1 Transport Infrastructure Ireland Publications. ..................................................... 7
3.2 Standard publications. ........................................................................................ 7
......................................................................................................................... 8
HCV/Bridge Collision Photographs ............................................................................... 8
....................................................................................................................... 11
Guidance for steel and steel / composite bridge decks ............................................... 11
....................................................................................................................... 14
Background information to impact loading .................................................................. 14
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1. Introduction
1.1 General
This Document contains requirements that are not covered by the Eurocodes and has been cited as
reference non-contradictory complimentary information in the Irish National Annex to I.S. EN 1991-1-
7. Much of the information has been derived from historical research and data formerly contained in
BD 60.
Accidental collisions of heavy commercial vehicles (HCVs) with the substructures and superstructures
of road bridges occur quite frequently. There are a number of reported road bridge strikes per year
and it is widely known to Bridge Managers that many more incidents remain unreported. These include
impacts to soffits by overheight vehicles resulting in local damage and spalling to concrete decks and
occasionally more severe and extensive damage to steel bridges as has happened on the N7
Rathcoole Overbridge, which required substantial heat straightening repairs. In the UK one road
bridge has been completely dislodged by collision and several footbridges and sign/signal gantries
have been partly or totally removed from their supports. One such railway bridge strike in Ireland in
1975 resulted in a train derailment in which 5 people were killed. Appendix A shows photographs of
some collisions with bridges.
1.2 Scope
This Document provides non-contradictory complementary information for use in Ireland with I.S. EN
1991-1-7 and it’s Irish National Annex.
a) requirements of vehicle impact forces on road and foot/cycle track bridge supports;
b) requirements of vehicle impact forces on road and foot/cycle track bridge decks;
c) guidance on accidental actions caused by ship traffic.
1.3 Implementation
This Standard should be used for all new or improved national roads and all regional and local roads
affected by national road schemes. This Standard shall be applied to the design of schemes currently
being prepared unless, in the opinion of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), application would result
in significant additional expense or delay progress. In such cases Design Organisations should
confirm the application of this Standard to particular schemes with TII. When directed by TII, the
superseded NRA Addendum to BD60/94 shall continue to apply to those schemes.
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2. The Requirements
Accidental actions caused by road vehicles: impacts on road and
foot/cycle track bridge substructures and superstructures
For bridges over carriageways, all supports shall be designed to withstand the vehicle collision loads
given in Table NA.1 of the National Annex to I.S. EN 1991-1-7 and Table 2.1 of this document. For
the avoidance of doubt, these collision loads shall be applicable no matter the distance of the supports
from the edge of carriageway or the presence (or not) of a vehicle restraint system.
Table 2.1: Equivalent static design forces due to vehicular impact on members supporting structures
over or adjacent to roadways
Force Fdy
Force Fdx
[kN]
[kN] Point of application on bridge
perpendicular to
in the direction or structure support
the direction of
of normal travel
normal travel
Road bridges + Consequences Class 3 Structure
NOTE Figures in brackets are only applicable to the supports of foot/cycle track bridges where a
concrete plinth has been constructed below to resist the both the main and residual load component
(Refer to section 2.3)
In the particular instance of pedestrian bridge ramps and stairs that are structurally independent of the
main road-spanning structure, their supports may be designed to the reduced loads (i.e. minimum
robustness requirement) specified in Table NA.2 of the National Annex to I.S. EN 1991-1-7 and Table
2.2 of this document if these supports are outside the clear zone as defined in DN-REQ-03034.
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Table 2.2: Minimum robustness requirements for supports (other than main span supports) of
footbridges and cycle track bridges if such supports are outside the clear zone
Force Fdy
Force Fdx
[kN]
[kN]
perpendicular to the Point of application on support
in the direction of
direction of normal
normal travel
travel
At one point between 0.75m and 1.5m
Main load
285 95 above carriageway level
component
At the most severe point between 1.0m
Residual load
190 190 and 3.0m above carriageway level
component
In the case of multi-level carriageways, such as those encountered on motorway and national road
interchanges, the collision loads are to be considered for each level of carriageway separately.
Consideration shall be given to the structural form of the abutments and, where sufficient mass is not
present to withstand the collision loads for global purposes, then the loading in Table NA.1 of the
National Annex to I.S. EN 1991-1-7 and Table 2.1 of this document shall be considered in the design.
The minimum headroom clearance to bridge superstructures shall be in accordance with DN-GEO-
03036. All bridges with a headroom clearance of less than 5.7 metres plus sag radius compensation
and allowance for deflection as described in DN-GEO-03036, shall be designed to withstand the
vehicle collision loads on superstructures defined in Table NA.3 of the National Annex to I.S. EN 1991-
1-7 and Table 2.3 below.
Table 2.3: Equivalent static design forces Fdx and Fdy due to impact on bridge superstructures
The overall structural integrity of the bridge must be maintained following an impact, whilst local
damage to a part of the bridge support or deck can be accepted.
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should be noted that inadequacy of individual elements is not a cause for concern
at this stage, since such inadequacy generally helps to absorb the impact force. In
order to prevent the whole structure being bodily displaced by the impact, its
bearings or supports must be designed to be fully adequate to resist the impact
loads (see paragraph 2.9).
b) Stage 2. Immediately after the impact. Immediately after the event, the bridge
must be able to stand up whilst still carrying traffic which may be crossing. Since
the requirement is survival and the likely traffic is of every-day intensity, a check
shall be carried out at ULS. For this check, the designer has to judge what local
damage might reasonably have occurred and ignore elements that were assumed
or found to be inadequate at Stage 1. If the structure does not satisfy the Stage 2
check appropriate changes shall be made to the design and the Stage 1 repeated
with revised assumptions regarding the adequacy of the strengthened elements in
the load-path. Guidance on possible local damage and the way impact forces are
transmitted in the case of steel and steel/composite bridge decks is given in
Appendix B.
2.4 Bearings
The assumptions made in design of the supports shall be reflected in the design of the bearings, i.e.
if the columns are designed as propped cantilevers then the bearings shall be able to transfer the
resulting load at the ULS. Similarly, the resulting loads shall have a suitable load path back through
the foundations to earth.
For elastomeric bearings, the effects due to vehicle collisions on superstructures need only be
considered at the serviceability limit state (SLS), for which a factor of 1.0/1.9 shall be applied to the
forces given in Table NA.1, Table NA.2 and Table NA.3 of the National Annex to I.S. EN 1991-1-7
and in Tables 2.1-2.3 of this document.
2.5 Foundations
Foundations shall be designed to resist the impact forces transmitted from the collision on the following
basis:
a) Only ULS checks are required, both for structural elements and soil-structure
interaction;
b) Full loading shall be considered for checking against overturning.
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Ship impact is considered in the accidental combination in accordance with clause 6.4.3.3 of I.S. EN
1990 and does not therefore require consideration of wind in combination with ship impact since the
value of ψ2 for wind is set to zero in Annex A2, Tables A.2.1 and A.2.2. Additionally, in accordance
with clause A2.2.5(1) of I.S. EN 1990:2002, wind action need not be considered in the combination of
actions for accidental design situation.
2.10 Ship impact for sea waterways (I.S. EN 1991-1- 7:2006, C.4.2)
The design ship impact frontal force Fdx for sea waterways shall be taken from Table C.4 of I.S. EN
1991-1-7:2006. For intermediate values of ship mass, the following formulae shall be used:
F = v (mK)½
where:
K = 12 MN/m for 0 < m ≤ 3000 ton
K = 25.6 MN/m for 3000 < m ≤ 10000 ton
K = 57.6 MN/m for 10000 < m ≤ 40000 ton
The lateral force Fdy shall be taken as half the values above for Fdx
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3. References
3.1 Transport Infrastructure Ireland Publications.
DN-GEO-03036: Cross sections and headrooms.
National Annex to I.S. EN 1990:2002, National Annex for Eurocode 1– Basis of structural
design.
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Plate 1: Collision of HGV with reinforced concrete support | M20 Moxley Road Bridge
(Photograph by kind permission of Director of Highways and Transportation, Kent County Council)
Plate 2: Collapse of a deck span following a collision from an excavator transported on a low
loader – A2 Park Pale accommodation bridge
(Photograph by kind permission of Director of Highways and Transportation, Kent County Council)
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Plate 3: Collision damage to reinforced concrete central support – M74 Lairs Flyover – B7078
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The following guidance on possible local damage in various types of steel and steel/composite bridge
decks is based on advice from the Steel Construction Institute.
Design against impact for such a bridge could therefore assume that in Stage 1 the specified impact
force is carried as follows:
a) Horizontal force is spread from the point of impact along the length of the girder, by
bending and shear in the plane of the bottom flange, to points of lateral restraint,
i.e. at transverse bracing. From such positions it is transferred through the bracing
members to connected members. If inclined bracing members are present the
impact forces will be transferred to the top flanges of the girders and into the plane
of the deck slab. At the supports the force is carried down through the support
bracing to the bearings and into the substructure if transverse fixity is provided.
b) Vertical force is applied upward in the line of the web and transferred by global
bending, of the whole deck, back to the supports.
c) Inclined forces are simply resolved into components of horizontal and vertical
forces. Local effects from an inclined force on the tip of a flange may cause only
local damage, and this need not be checked.
The possibility of damage to more than one main beam should be considered.
For survival in Stage 2, the effect of the damage could be as follows. As a tension element, the flange
is likely still to be quite effective. It would be reasonable for a designer to make only a small allowance
for loss of effective section although the moment of inertia may be significantly reduced due to the
twisting described in B.2. However, as a compression element, i.e. in the region close to an
intermediate support, the local damage may be sufficient to initiate large deflection local buckling,
particularly if the flange is torn from the web locally. It may be prudent to presume the creation of a
pin joint in the beam which has been struck and carry out a global analysis accordingly. The shear
capacity of the webs should be considered carefully, presuming an ineffective flange and possibly a
small reduction of web area; the effects of web rotation on shear capacity may be considerable.
Provided that the design of the bracing and its attachment is adequate for the Stage 1 check, there
should be no significant damage to those members.
In Stage 1 the forces would be transferred by distortional behaviour back to diaphragm or cross-frame
positions and then by torsion and bending back to the supports.
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Under Stage 2 for mid-span regions there should be little reduction in ultimate moment capacity, as
for the beam-and-slab bridge; torsional capacity is also likely to be largely retained. Adjacent to
supports the deformation of the web-flange junction will lead to some loss of moment capacity, but it
is likely that the other lower corner will continue to provide some bending strength. The designer will
have to judge, depending on proportions and plate thicknesses, what capacity might remain.
Half-through Bridge
The deck of a half-through bridge will provide continuous and direct restraint to the bottom flange
against impact forces. Some tearing of the bottom flange might occur. If the connection or cross-beam
which provide U-frame restraint could be damaged by the impact, then Stage 2 should consider the
structural action without that restraint at one cross-beam. As for girder and slab bridges, the effective
area of the tension flange should be reduced appropriately.
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Static design forces due to vehicular impact on members supporting bridge structures are provided
within Tables 2.1 and Table 2.2 of this design standard. The table below provides details of different
vehicle types and masses that may give rise to these design collision loads parallel and perpendicular
to the normal direction of travel. Based on the vehicle types and masses below associated velocities
have been back calculated using the dynamic analysis procedure provided within Annex C to IS EN
1991-1-7. These details are provided as background information only. Certain assumptions with
respect to mass of vehicle; dimensions of the vehicle; and angle of impact have been made. Figures
C.1 and C.2 show the forces concurrently applied to a typical column.
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