Bridge Maintenance Plans
Bridges naturally deteriorate over time and require maintenance to ensure long-term safety, reliability, and performance. As such, bridge maintenance plans are critical outlining the necessary activities and schedules required to maintain a bridge’s structural integrity, aesthetics, and functionality. The type of bridge maintenance activity varies depends on the identified bridge defects, such as cracking, corrosion, spalling, and damage, and the deterioration rate of bridge components.
The first step in developing a bridge maintenance plan is to conduct a thorough inspection of the bridge. This inspection will identify any existing or potential issues that require maintenance, repair, or replacement. A maintenance schedule is then developed based on the inspection results outlining the types of maintenance activities needed, how frequently they should be performed, and the estimated cost of each activity.
Bridge maintenance plans are important to a bridges’ lifespan to ensure the safe and efficient operation of a bridge, extend its service life, and reduce the risk of costly repairs and accidents. There are various factors which can cause structural failure to a bridge and it is essential that a bridge maintenance plan be provided after every bridge inspection to outline procedures for bridge maintenance.
Common Maintenance Activities
Some common types of maintenance activities included in a bridge maintenance plan are:
- Regular Inspections: This involves periodic visual and non-destructive testing of the bridge to detect any defects or damage.
- Cleaning and Painting: Regular cleaning and painting can help protect the bridge from corrosion and deterioration.
- Repair of Damaged Components: This includes repairing or replacing any damaged or worn-out components, such as bearings, expansion joints, and deck surface.
- Structural Strengthening: Strengthening the bridge’s structure can help increase its load-carrying capacity and extend its service life.
- Rehabilitation or Replacement: If a bridge is severely damaged or has reached the end of its service life, rehabilitation or replacement may be necessary.
Why Neilly Davies?
Neilly Davies Consulting Engineers has extensive experience in bridge inspections and are more than capable of meeting expectations. In each bridge inspection, we ensure that it complies with the RMS bridge inspection manual to ensure safety of its users and the surrounding environment. Neilly Davies have performed over 100 bridge inspections and have won awards for our rigorous testing, inspections and recommendations on bridge maintenance and repairs to ensure that a bridge is safe for all users.