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The dynamic amplification factor (DAF) is an important parameter in the design of highway bridges and yet no worldwide consensus has been reached so far as to its value. Some disagreement exists between provisions of various national bridge codes. This is because the DAF depends, in addition to the maximum span or the natural frequency, on many other parameters that are difficult to take into account with reasonable accuracy. Vehicle speed, weight, and dynamic characteristics, the state of the structure, roadway roughness, expansion joints, the type of bridge supports, soil–structure interaction, and influence of secondary elements are some aspects influencing the DAF. This study reviews the analytical and experimental findings on bridge dynamics and the evaluation of the DAF. Key words: bridges, vibrations, bridge testing, bridge design codes, dynamic amplification factor.

This paper presents the results of an investigation of reinforced concrete (RC) T-beams retrofitted in shear with near-surface mounted (NSM) fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) rods. Six full-scale 4520-mm-long RC T-beams were tested to study the effects of important parameters such as the presence of NSM FRP rods, the presence of steel stirrups, and the steel stirrup ratio. This paper provides an insightful and comprehensive description of the behaviour of strengthened T-beams under increasing load, from the formation of the first crack to ultimate failure. The results of this study and those gathered in the presented database show that existing steel stirrups and strengthening NSM FRP did not diminish each other's effect when failure modes unrelated to shear resistance of RC beams were prevented. The experimental results of this study and those in the database were used to verify a newly proposed model to predict the shear contribution of NSM FRP rods and laminates in RC beams strengthened in shear. The proposed model showed an improved accuracy compared to the existing models in the literature.

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