Concrete Bridge Management: From Design to Maintenance

Abstract

A bridge's service life is limited by both its structural deterioration and its functional obsolescence as traffic demands grow. In order to rehabilitate and upgrade existing bridges, important investments are necessary. Bridge budgets are always limited, and frequently the owners can deal with only a selection of the problems detected. To be aware of existing in-service problems and to help in rationalizing maintenance decisions, bridge management systems have been developed and put to use in several countries. This paper considers concrete bridge management within a global methodology to be implemented by the authorities, in which the design and construction stages, where important measures to attain durability must be implemented, are also considered. A concrete bridge management system, ready to be implemented at the service stage, is presented, incorporating a knowledge-based system that allows standardization of inspections and assistance in maintenance/repair decision-making based on safety considerations and an economic analysis.