PSI - Issue 64

Petr Tej et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 64 (2024) 1089–1094 Author name / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000 – 000

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Fig. 5 . State of preservation of the viaduct between Vyšehradská třída and the beginning of the bridge.

3. Conclusion 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. As a result of long neglected basic maintenance, however, the structure deteriorated to such an extent that the Správa Železnic decided to demolish it. The demolition of the railway bridge, nonetheless, represents not only the loss of a particular bridge structure, which in itself has many qualities, but also the loss of a significant panorama of the city of Prague. The question arises, therefore, whether it is possible to reconstruct such a damaged, and at the same time significantly burdened, structure, while preserving its iconic morphology? The authors of this article believe so. After conducting a preservation assessment of the bridge, the following conclusions emerged. In light of the identified levels of excessive stresses within the fatigue assessment, methods for replacing the affected components were considered. • Respect for the important heritage value of the historic railway bridge, with the understanding that, where possible, the components to be replaced will be replaced with identical ones, • minimising disruption to rail traffic, allowing component replacements to be carried out during short closures (where possible); and • the use of established technologies for the repair and rehabilitation of such historic bridges over watercourses.

Fig. 6. Architectural study for the whole area connected to the Vyšehrad railway bridge