Rehabilitation of Super Optimised Major Concrete Bridges

Design of bridges is often from the designer's point of view a process where all parts of the bridge are optimised i.e. designed to the limit according to the codes and at the same time provide the best conditions for the users of the bridge as well as optimal conditions when conducting maintenance, repair and rehabilitation projects. However, until recently an understanding of the importance of maintenance was not as clear as it is today. This paper will present some case studies on how maintenance and repair works are carried out on bridges that have been optimised solely with respect to the structural design – not designed for repair and rehabilitation. Structural assessment before and during repair will be described as well as the optimisation of traffic management. Also, issues such as removal of concrete by water cutting, shotcrete, cathodic protection and working in confined spaces in the bridge girder and getting access while traffic is still operating are presented.