Experiences in Rehabilitation of Steel Bridges

Many existing bridge structures are 75 to 100 years old and may soon need replacing as a part of the normal renewal process. This option, however, needs serious retrospection. Apart from the inconvenience and environmental chaos that such an action is likely to create, albeit temporarily, funding of such ventures, worldwide, would call for huge investment within a limited period of time. There has been growing awareness that future development work must focus on saving of the earth's depleting resources. It is in this context that rehabilitation of old steel bridges is assuming greater importance. There is now the unique challenge of developing innovative methods for extending the lives of existing steel bridges and improving their durability and serviceability with minimum downtime and with least expense. This paper briefly discusses the inadequacies which necessitate the rehabilitation of old steel bridges and illustrates the efficacy of innovative repair schemes using three case studies, one each from Bangladesh, Malaysia and India.