Technical and Economic Considerations of Bridge Rehabilitation Methods - Technical Report

Bridge owners who have to manage their bridge stock are concerned with bridge deficiencies. The main concerns are the degradation of bridge elements due to ageing, accident, and other factors. This is evaluated by the bridge condition index. But bridge owners also have to manage the evolution in the characteristics of the bridge: the original design may no longer be appropriate (number of lanes, load capacity, flooding frequencies, standards and other characteristics). In this case there is a need [...]

Damage and Deterioration Assessment Decision-Making for Highway Bridge Safety - Technical Report

Bridge owners in most countries routinely assess bridge damage and deterioration to ensure the safety of the traveling public and appropriately manage the service life of a bridge. While in service, bridge owners discover damage or deterioration under two main circumstances. Firstly, damage or deterioration resulting over longer periods of time, and secondly damage or deterioration appearing instantaneously. “Triggers” or causes of this damage or deterioration include: environmental impacts, [...]

Investigating Unpredicted Infrastructure Failure

This report is an outcome of PIARC mechanism for Special Projects, which is PIARC instrument to respond quickly to emerging issues for PIARC member countries. This report provides a review of 15 Unpredicted Infrastructure Failure (UIF) case studies that have been collated from around the world. For the purposes of the report UIF is defined as: instances where failure1 occurs on an asset that is considered in good condition and is well maintained The case study data from our interviews and [...]

Inspections and Damage Assessment Techniques - Case Studies

The PIARC TC D.3 Bridges Technical Committee is publishing a worldwide compilation of case studies as examples for bridge owners in making critical decisions to ensure the safety of the traveling public during a bridge incident caused by damage and deterioration. This case study compilation has 28 worldwide case studies received from 15 unique countries. These case studies provide examples of incidents where owners discovered damage or deterioration under two main circumstances. Firstly, damage [...]

The Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems for Road Infrastructure

From Canada to Tanzania, transportation agencies are using unmanned aerial systems (UASs), also known as drones, to collect data, design and construct road infrastructure, inspect bridges, monitor roads for avalanche and mudslide dangers, identify flood damage risks in urban areas, reconstruct crash scenes, and monitor traffic and road conditions. Public agencies, under pressure to reduce costs and to be adaptable, are turning to drones as one means of improving operations and cutting costs. Many [...]