Assessing the Condition of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Using Visual Inspection Ratings

Abstract

The evolution of the state of a structure is characterized by deterioration. This is mainly due to corrosion of the steel reinforcement and damage from mechanical solicitations. The maintenance of existing infrastructures involves a good grasp of their condition and a high level of expertise on the part of the project managers. An accurate assessment of the bridge state condition is required to plan maintenance and repair activities for better durability, and to maintain the level of service of the road network. In this paper, an effective management framework for bridge is proposed using field observations from visual inspections. Each element of the bridge was evaluated separately by a visual inspection from which were derived ratings to quantify the structural performance and the material condition. The element ratings were also combined to obtain an overall rating for the bridge considering its defects and impact on the behavior of the complete structure. The modelling approach proposed in this work can better represent the deterioration of concrete-built bridges when the defect is visible. A representative structure in Quebec was studied to illustrate how to apply the methodology for the assessment of a real structure condition at specific times.

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