Safety assessment and model validation of the Elbe Bridge in Bad Schandau through load testing

Abstract Following the Carola Bridge collapse due to stress corrosion cracking (SCC), the Elbe Bridge in Bad Schandau was closed after cracking was detected alongside SCC‐susceptible prestressing steel. Its assessment combined diagnostics, structural health monitoring, proof loading, and finite element modeling. Local investigations could not quantify bridge‐wide wire fractures or residual prestressing. A finite element model (FEM) incorporating the construction sequence, prestressing operations, and time‐dependent effects was used to interpret measured responses and assess model performance under the investigated loading conditions. No stopping criterion was reached, and no wire breaks, significant residual deformation, irreversible crack opening, or unexpected response was observed. The FEM generally reproduced global behavior, with local discrepancies. The evidence supported the safety assessment within the investigated loading conditions and conditional operation under compensated traffic and continuous monitoring. This integrated approach supports reopening decisions when hidden prestressing damage prevents a conclusive conventional assessment.