Common Damages in Bridges

Bridges are usually composed of abutments, columns, deck (or arch), cables (if any), parapet/handrail, and pavements. These elements are often built of different materials such as masonry, reinforced concrete, metal, reinforced earth walls, and cables. All these elements and materials are susceptible to damage. A list of the most common damages affecting bridges is given below.?

? Leaching/efflorescence is a result of the migration of a salt to the surface of concrete, leaving a coat of salt (Figure a,b). Efflorescence can present a white, brown, green, or yellow color, depending on the type of salt that has migrated.

? Lichen growth occurs when a stone-like material (masonry, concrete, or bricks) support is exposed to excessive humidity (Figure c,e).

? Structural steel corrosion will result in the gradual destruction of steel structural elements by chemical and/or electrochemical reactions with their environment (Figure c–e). It can affect any part of the steel structure. Special attention must be paid to the cables and anchorages of suspension and cable-stayed bridges, as they may result in catastrophic failures.?

? Rust stains are due to lack of cover in steel reinforcement (Figure f).

? Cracking may occur when a structure cannot accommodate a movement (Figure b,d,h). Cracks may also occur due to other nonstructural issues (e.g., thermal effects).?They can affect columns, beams, and shear-keys, and may be present in different configurations and distribution patterns. The location, length, orientation, and opening of cracks are of paramount interest to structural engineers.

? Spalling of concrete occurs when cracked concrete is delaminated from the substrate.?Steel reinforcement corrosion results in the gradual destruction of the steel reinforcement of RC structures by chemical and/or electrochemical reactions with their environment. It can affect any part of the RC structure (Figure g).

Source: Cano, M.; Pastor, J.L.; Tomás, R.; Riquelme, A.; Asensio, J.L. "A New Methodology for Bridge Inspections in Linear Infrastructures from Optical Images and HD Videos Obtained by UAV", Remote Sensing, 2022, 14, 1244. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14051244