MAT-714: CONDITION ASSESSMENT AND DETERIORATION PREDICTION TOOLS FOR CONCRETE BRIDGES: A NEW LOOK

Structural problems created by corrosion, ageing, aggressive environments, material defects and unforeseen mechanical or seismic loads can compromise the serviceability and safety of bridges. The importance of an effective bridge-management system (BMS) cannot be overstated, especially in light of the recent collapse of bridges in North America and elsewhere. Several technologies are available for assessing the condition of concrete bridges and a number of deterioration models are used to predict future bridge conditions and estimate associated funding requirements. This paper critically reviews the different available condition assessment and deterioration prediction approaches for concrete bridges. The potential applications of condition assessment technologies with particular focus on their advantages and limitations are presented. The various types of deterioration models are discussed and compared. The findings indicate that: (i) non-destructive testing (NDT) methods and structural health monitoring (SHM) systems can play a major role in effectively evaluating the conditions of concrete bridges; (ii) mechanistic models for deterioration prediction embrace a reliability-based approach that can provide bridge owners and maintenance personnel with an improved tool to assess bridge conditions and to make decisions regarding their maintenance; and (iii) automated data collection and interpretation analysis is needed for improved BMS. The challenges associated with the different technologies and models are outlined. Furthermore, to empower bridge asset managers in making more informed decisions, recommendations are made on the selection of appropriate evaluation and prediction models that meet desired service goals