Abstract
The Pacific Northwest region has no data on the assessment of rural bridge design and safety subjected to \ac{fv} loading. This thesis examines how different types of \acp{fv} with different characteristics distribute their loads on bridges. Live load distribution factors for girders in short span bridges under the critical loading conditions have been determined. The selected bridges are representative of rural bridges in the region. The computer models have been verified using field data in order to explore a number of bridges under various \acp{fv}. It is concluded that some of the \acp{fv} resulted in loads on the girders greater than the design values obtained from the AASHTO LRFD specifications.