Structural assessment of an existing concrete cantilever bridge: The Hartel bridge

In this paper the assessment of the cantilever part of the Hartel bridge is presented based on the guidelines given in Eurocode together with Dutch additions and modifications. This assessment takes into account the fact that structural assessment of an existing structure differs from a new structure. Attention is paid to the safety levels, traffic load, archival research and inspection of the bridge condition as well as the applied structural models and calculations. The outcome of the assessment reflects that the safety against shear failure is not sufficient, therefore it is advised to strengthen the bridge by external prestressing inside the box girder. Key points and challenges of applicable measures are discussed.