New Repair and Rehabilitation Methods for Road Bridges

In many countries, the average age of the road bridges stock is over fifty years, and a large number of the bridges are not in good condition. The corresponding economic issue leads to the need to a search for innovative solutions to extend the service life of the bridges and rehabilitate them in the most cost-effective way. This report draws on the results of an international survey. In a first stage, countries were asked about the most significant degradation problems affecting sixteen different elements of bridge structures. Based on the responses received, twenty-two cases of degradation were selected affecting mainly reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete bridges. The cases analyzed included: chlorides corrosion of reinforced concrete elements, expansive and alkali-silica reactions, damage to prestressed concrete beams, deterioration of concrete slabs, damage due to fire, damage to bearings, corrosion of metallic culverts. For each of them, countries were invited to describe the standard repair method used as well as innovative methods that have been applied. The comparison between the methods is made considering the criteria of: reliability, availability, maintainability and safety. The financial aspect and environmental sustainability are also examined on a case by case basis.