WP 3
Condition Assessment and Inspection

Introduction

Theincreasingageofthebridge stock throughout Europe leadstoproblemsassociatedwithdeterioration in existing structures.Surveysindicatethat themainreasons for deterioration are increasingvehiclenumbersand loads,andadverse environmental conditions, such asexposuretochloridesandfreeze-thaw attack.

Thebridgemanagementsystemscurrentlybeing used do not yet includereliabletechniques fortheevaluation of thestructural consequencesofdeterioration.Existingguidelines for theassessment of bridgesareneither applicablenorefficient to bridges thathave been subjectedtodeterioration.

TheobjectivesofthisWorkPackage are to identify the common typesofdeterioration,examinethebehaviour of deteriorated bridges andtosupply informationonmodernmethods of assessing their condition.Thejustification forthisresearchis that new reliable assessmentmodelswould enable themoreefficient useof resources in bridgemaintenance.For calculatingthebearing capacityof a bridge (WP4) orfor decidingif it canbestrengthened (WP 6), therespectiveinformationon thecondition ofthebridge has to be available.If thebridge has to berepaired,thequality andsuccess of the repairwill beassured.

Insummary,inthisWorkPackage the existing standard methods forbridgesindifferentEuropeancountries are compared and newinnovativetechniquesaredeveloped andadapted for the needs ofinspectingrailway bridges.

Objectives

Themainobjectivesaretodevelop advanced and apply reliable methods toassesstheconditionofbridges and to identify and characterisecommontypesofdeterioration.The possibilities of moderninspectionmethods,especiallynon-destructivetesting methods (NDT-CE)will beeffectivelyexpanded.

The focus is on concrete bridges, but steel bridges and masonry arch bridges will be taken into account.

WP3isorganisedinfive sub Work Packages. These are defined bytheobjectivesof WP3 andbythe objects to be investigated (likeconcreteand steelbridges) toensuremaximum synergy:

• co-ordination, definition of tasks and specifications
• collection of standard testing methods in Europe
• verification of construction plans and localisation of inhomogeneities, cracks and deterioration with NDT-CE methods
• investigation of steel corrosion and the structural consequences to reinforced concrete
  bridges, determination of chloride ingress
• investigation of the integrity of foundations and embankments.