Assessment of Bridges on the Swiss National Roads

作者：Schellenberg Kristian^*; Vogel Thomas; Chevre Michel; Alvarez Manuel

来源：Structural Engineering International, 2013, 23(4): 402-410.

DOI：10.2749/101686613X13627351081759

• existing bridges
• maintenance
• inspections
• condition assessment
• structural verification

The main strategic goal in the assessment of the existing Swiss national road network is to provide a high level of availability of the roads for traffic and reduce interferences caused by construction or repair works. Therefore, renovation works tend to be executed in large maintenance sections for which the complete infrastructure is repaired in order to ensure a period of 15 years without the need for additional construction works. Before 2008, the existing bridges were maintained mostly individually under the responsibility of local cantonal administrations. Entering into the new maintenance strategy requires a careful assessment of the structural conditions. Visual inspections and laboratory testing programs are required in order to bring the structural condition of different structures to a similar level and to fulfil all standards as long as costs are not disproportional to the benefits. Structural safety is evaluated according to the new Swiss code for existing structures, SIA 269, which was published in 2011. For typical short span bridges and overpasses from the early 1970s, which represent the largest number of existing objects, focus has to be set on the shear verifications of slabs without stirrups as well as on the bending capacity of cantilever slabs. Within the structural assessment, actions, material properties, geometrical properties and structural models shall be updated. Partial safety factors can also be updated by means of semi or full probabilistic approaches, in order to verify structural safety.

• 出版日期2013-11