Assessment and monitoring of existing bridges to avoid unnecessary strengthening or replacement

Abstract

The increasing volume of European transport urgently requires an effective road and rail system in Central European and Eastern countries (CEEC) with a major investment in building new and assessing and rehabilitating old structures. To decrease the number of bridges in CEEE to be strengthened or replaced due to lack of maintenance or increase of the trucks weight, it is essential to assess accurately their remaining capacity. It becomes important to develop more appropriate tools and procedures to avoid unnecessary interventions in bridges. Load testing carried out on bridges through years indicates that often bridges resist load in ways not always considered in the design or in the present bridge rating procedures. Therefore, substantial benefits can be realized if the bridges can be evaluated and rated based on non-destructive load tests and if the actual traffic loads can be well monitored as well, including their dynamic effect or dynamic allowance.