CASE STUDY · AUSTRIA

PIT in Action for ÖBB

Sustainable bridge maintenance: 192 stiffeners on three existing railway bridges over the Gail River were selectively post-treated.

Preserving Bridges, Extending Service Life

Steel railway bridges are among the most heavily subjected to cyclic loading within our infrastructure. Every day, trains weighing hundreds of tonnes and thousands of load cycles place considerable demands on these structures – with each cycle contributing to fatigue.

This can result in recurring repairs, high maintenance costs and, in the long term, even the consideration of bridge replacement. PIT technology enables targeted post-weld treatment of critical weld areas, significantly extending the remaining fatigue life of cyclically loaded structures.

3

existing railway bridges

192

stiffeners at critical welds

Many years

of additional service life

Targeted On-Site Treatment

As ÖBB is committed to sustainable maintenance, we were able to apply the PIT process to three existing railway bridges over the Gail River

192 existing stiffeners at critical welds were post-treated.
The goal was to significantly extend the remaining fatigue life.
By introducing compressive residual stresses and reducing local stress concentrations, the highly stressed areas are effectively improved.

Sustainability Starts with What Already Exists

Instead of demolishing and rebuilding, we focus on extending and optimizing existing structures. True sustainability means not only “building green”, but also keeping existing structures in service economically and efficiently.

Targeted post-weld treatment of critical welds helps reduce maintenance costs, extend service life, avoid downtime and ensure sustainable infrastructure.

Keeping Your Bridges Reliable for Decades to Come

Are you an operator or responsible for steel structures? Talk to us about sustainably extending their service life.