NR RT/CE/P/016 ISSUE 3 PDF

This Procedure applies to the management of Assessments to determine the safe load capacity of Structures for which Railtrack has responsibility, either as owner of the Structure or as a result of a specific agreement, as follows:

• Bridges;

• Structures which both support buildings and span across operational railway lines but excluding the supported building;

• Train Sheds;

• Structures classified as Tunnels for the purposes of examination, but which support traffic loads;

• other Structures for which information in addition to that obtained from the examination process is required to confirm the safe load capacity of the structure;

This Procedure shall apply to platform canopies except where the safe load capacity is justified by documented criteria, including the following:

• knowledge exists of its condition;

• there are no significant active defects;

• the aerodynamic effects of passing trains are not severe and there are no plans for the speed of passing trains to increase significantly;

• there has been no significant change in the loading on the canopy since it was built.

This Procedure shall apply to the management of an Assessment required as a consequence of a specific incident, but excludes requirements for management actions to be taken following incidents such as:

• a Bridge strike;

• accidental collision damage on parapets or supports;

• a result of scour or flooding.

Requirements for the management of Bridge strikes and accidental collision damage on parapets and supports are given in Railtrack Company Procedure RT/CE/P/023: Incident Management of Bridge Strikes.

This Procedure does not apply to the management of special investigations to establish safe load capacity in relation to proposed changes of Structure use or a change in Bridge traffic type, speed, weight, track configuration or road layout.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Railtrack Company Procedure is to:

• ensure procedures used in the management of Assessments are consistent and compliant with Railway Group Standard GC/RT5100: Safe Management of Structures;

• provide a uniform system for prioritising Assessments;

• detail the actions to be taken following an Assessment commensurate with the level of risk;

• provide information to enable risk of overloading of underline bridges to be managed in compliance with GC/RT/8006: Interface between Rail Vehicle Weights and Underline Bridges;

• provide information for use in Regulatory Reporting in respect of Route Availability in accordance with RT/ARM/C3: Railtrack Asset Reporting Manual.

Assessment of Structures according to this Procedure does not, on its own, give assurance of continued fitness for purpose. Assessment is one part of the total process to ensure the structural adequacy and integrity of a Structure.