Reconnaissance Observation on Bridge Damage Caused by the 2008 Wenchuan (China) Earthquake

Following the 2008 Wenchuan (China) earthquake, the civil engineers association from Taiwan immediately dispatched a team to the affected region to collect information about the structural and geotechnical damage, and to provide information for seismic assessment, retrofitting and reconstruction planning. This team reached the damaged areas close to the epicenter—including Chengdu, Dujiangyan, Pongzhou, Xiaoyudong, Mianzhu, Zhiulong, Wudu, Hanwang, Hsuanko, Yingxiu (epicenter), and Highway 213—to survey the affected schools, hospitals, residential buildings, landslides, and bridges. More than 5,000 photos were taken to document the damage that resulted from the catastrophic earthquake ( http://www.ncree.gov.tw/eng/index.htm ). It is hoped that the information obtained can help us to develop a disaster mitigation plan. This paper focuses on the damage to different types of bridges, including those with simple support, arch, and continuous elements. The information shared in this study can help us build a community that will be safer in the future.