Management system for expansion joints of road bridges

Abstract

This paper presents a management system for expansion joints with unique features in the field of road bridge management. The high costs of maintaining equipment, a significant percentage of the conservation budget of the bridges where they are installed, in conjunction with indirect costs and discomfort associated with intervention for their rehabilitation, amply justify the implementation of an autonomous, but integrated, management system, especially for entities responsible for a high number of bridges. The system is based on the classification of types of joints, defects and possible causes, diagnosis methods and maintenance/rehabilitation techniques, inter-correlated by matrices that are duly validated. Based on parameters that define degradation levels, the system also allows the rating of each defect in terms of physical and functional degradation and of detriment to the social envelope of the bridge.

Keywords:

• expansion joints
• road bridges
• maintenance
• rehabilitation
• management system

Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the ICIST Research Institute from IST, Technical University of Lisbon, the FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) and Brisa, Auto-Estradas de Portugal S.A.