Diagnosis of cracking in concrete bridges structures

Abstract

A large percentage of the bridge structures in the nation's highway network are constructed out of reinforced concrete or prestressed concrete. Therefore it is important to have a very good knowledge of the basic characteristics of concrete in order to efficiently inspect bridge components build of this material.
The behavior of a bridge under traffic loads is strongly influenced by the properties of the materials used for the bridge. Therefore, the properties of construction materials are of great importance to the bridge inspector. Both physical properties, related to the intrinsic nature of the material and mechanical properties describing the structural behavior of the material are important to know these various strengths and weaknesses in order to understand the structural behavior of the entire bridge, as well as its many elements.
Assessing the integrity and safety of a bridge is possible if the various types of deterioration which can reduce the bridge's strength are understood.