The Need for Conducting Forensic Analysis of Decommissioned Bridges

2014PDFTech ReportUVA-2012-05DTRT12-G-UTC03BridgesBridge management systemsDeteriorationState of the artService lifeStructural analysisResearch HubDecommissioned BridgesForensic AnalysisUnited StatesMid-Atlantic Universities Transportation CenterChase, S.B.University of Virginia. Center for Transportation StudiesUnited States. Dept. of Transportation. Research and Innovative Technology AdministrationUS Transportation CollectionA limiting factor in current bridge management programs is a lack of detailed knowledge of bridge deterioration mechanisms and processes. The current state of the art is to predict future condition using statistical forecasting models based upon historical observations. This approach is limited in that the historical observations are subjective visual observations assigned to categorical condition states. While this is adequate for routine bridge maintenance and management, it does little to add to fundamental knowledge of the processes that, in the end, limit the useful service life of a bridge. Normal practice is to demolish and dispose of a bridge that is to be replaced, with no attempt to extract useful knowledge from the decommissioned bridge. This project was based upon the hypothesis that bridges which have been in service for extended periods will have deteriorated and that detailed forensic analysis of such bridges can provide fundamental knowledge of the deterioration mechanisms that limit bridge service. This hypothesis was examined and it was found that the current level of understanding of the causes for bridge failures and the factors which limit bridge service life are inadequate to support a project which would focus on forensic analysis. The project focus shifted to better understanding and documenting bridge deterioration and service life prediction. This report documents bridge deterioration and service life prediction models developed for this project