Statistical computation for extreme bridge traffic load effects

The maintenance of highway infrastructure constitutes a major expenditure in many
countries. This cost can be reduced significantly by minimizing the repair or
replacement of highway bridges. In the assessment of existing bridges, the strength
estimate tends to be more accurate than that of traffic loading, due to the more
variable nature of loading. Recent advances in the statistical analysis of highway
bridge traffic loading have resulted in more accurate forecasts of the actual loading
to which a bridge is subject. While these advances require extensive numerical
computation, they can significantly improve the accuracy of the calculation. This
paper outlines the recent advances and describes the associated computational
aspects in detail