*** ABLOADS *** ahead of the game!

Now incorporating BD 86 SV & SO checking

The *** ABLOADS *** checking engine, built on Cascade's BD 21 and BA 16 assessment software programs *** ANALYSE *** and *** ARCH ***, as used in the national bridge assessment programme of the 1990s, has now been upgraded to provide for pre-assessment to BD 86 SV and SO vehicle ratings, as well as the current ALL and HB ratings.

BD 86, The Assessment of Highway Bridges and Structures for the Effects of Special Types General Order (STGO) and Special Order (SO) Vehicles, was first issued in 2001, and the current update was produced in 2011

It is intended that all new structure assessments will utilise this standard, but to date the number of structures actually assessed to BD 86 is negligible. Nevertheless, *** ABLOADS *** is now ready and waiting for new BD 86 vehicle ratings.