The structural assessment of the partially collapsed Izbor Viaduct

Lukasz is a Structural Engineer, specialising in the design and assessment of bridges. He graduated from the University of Technology in Wroclaw, Poland and joined Arup's Bridges and Civil Structures Team in Solihull, England. Lukasz has extensive international experience and he has worked on projects across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Australia.

On Saturday May 6th 2006, the launching of the deck superstructure of the Izbor Viaduct resulted in the partial collapse of the front section of the launched deck. This construction process of launching the deck was aided by a tower and supporting cable-stayed system that was designed to control the deflection of the leading deck section.

Arup was invited by the insurer Generali Global Risk Assicurazioni Generali to provide expert advice on the likely cause of the partial collapse of the Izbor Viaduct during construction.

The paper focuses on the analytical part of the investigation, which was carried out to determine the likely cause of the partial collapse. The material investigation and on-site inspections, which formed a part of the assessment, are not covered in this publication.