Inspection of Luling Bridge Cable Stays: Case Study

Abstract

Most cable-stayed bridges in the United States have been built in the last 30 years. As the number of existing cable-stayed bridges increase, one problem continues to arise—how to inspect the cable stays for corrosion and deterioration. An inherent difficulty in developing an inspection procedure for cable-stayed bridges is that each cable-stayed bridge is unique in its cable configuration. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) has built two separate trolleys to aid their inspectors and maintenance crew with visual inspection and maintenance of the cable stays on the Luling Bridge over the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish near New Orleans, Louisiana. With the use of the two trolleys, LADOTD bridge inspectors are able to inspect the cable stays at hands-on distances. The cable-stay inspection procedure adopted by the LADOTD is inexpensive and time efficient, and it minimally impacts bridge traffic. This manuscript reviews the inspection procedure adopted by the LADOTD to inspect the cable sheathing at the Luling Bridge.