Description
Prague has two iconic views. The first is Charles Bridge with the silhouette of Prague Castle in the background, the second is the Vyšehrad Railway Bridge framed by the imposing structure of Vyšehrad. It has been a listed cultural monument since 2004. The Vyšehrad Railway Bridge was opened in its first form on 15 August 1872, its current appearance dates back to 1901. It is a riveted structure with three parabolic arches spanning about 70 m with verticals and diagonals in the shape of segmented cross-sections. The structure is an important technical cultural monument, which is also located in an exposed part of the Prague Monument Reserve. However, due to long neglected basic maintenance, the structure deteriorated to such an extent that the Railway Administration decided to demolish it. Having carried out an inspection and structural assessment of the bridge we are confident that it can be repaired, refurbished and modified to provide a long and satisfactory additional service life for future operation of the railway and footways. In particular, localised corrosion defects resulting from inadequate maintenance over many years can be repaired and the structural components which fail to meet the assessment criteria in their current condition can be repaired or replaced. Expressed in weight, only 15% of the structure by mass needs structural repair or improvement; the rest is satisfactory without further intervention, other than renewing the corrosion protection system. The paper wil be focused on a detailed examination of the condition of the bridge and the possibilities of its reconstruction for railway transport
