Technicians gather bridge data through the computer system inside a testing vehicle.

From June 11 to 23, Guangzhou municipal authorities will conduct fatigue testing of the main steel structure of the Haizhu Bridge.

Certain steel members of the 73-year old Haizhu Bridge have been found to be rusting and their paint peeling off, and the local authorities have instituted a fatigue testing program for the bridge, which will provide comprehensive testing and elaborate safety analysis of the current conditions of the bridge. Based on the results of the testing and analysis, a pertinent repair and reinforcement proposal will be prepared for future subsequent servicing decision making.

Guangzhou Tunnel Company, which is performing the testing, says the testing will take 12 days and conclude on June 23. The testing includes appearance inspection, crack testing, traffic flow investigation, and dynamic and static load testing. Except for a brief period when the dynamic and static load testing is underway, normal passage through the bridge will largely not be impacted.

During the testing, light vehicles will be diverted via the side bridges of the bridge and public transport vehicles will be rerouted through the Liberation Bridge.

Construction of the Haizhu Bridge, which is Guangzhou's first bridge spanning the Pearl River, began in December 1929 by the American contractor Markton Company, and was completed in February 1933. The bridge was damaged when Japanese troops attacked Guangzhou in 1938, and the opening and closing mechanisms on the central section of the bridge were irreparably damaged. The bridge was blown down by retreating Guomindang troops on October 14, 1949 but rebuilt in 1950. In 1974, two slow-lane side bridges with pre-stressed reinforced concrete caissons were built.

With historic significance and a unique style, the Haizhu Bridge has been a lively sight in Guangzhou.

Editor: Yan