Staircase and bridge under vertical load (6 kN/m2). Equivalent to 5 t for the bridge and 4.5 t for the staircase. The vertical load was superimposed with capping loads in different positions from 1.56 kN outwards to 0.78 kN inwards.
 
Tests on models:
Undamaged panes - 50 kN top chord compressive force (equivalent to 2.1 times the characteristic load made up of dead load and full live load, which is 5 kN/m2); one damaged glass plate - 26 kN top chord compressive force (equivalent to 1.7 times the characteristic load made up of dead load and half the live load); both glass plates of a pane heavily damaged - 20 kN (equivalent to 1.9 times the characteristic load made up of dead load and a quarter of the full live load)