Preparatory Document for the International Seminar

• Seminar second announcement

Summary of the Seminar

The economic development of a country is based on the road network which includes bridges in an appropriate state of viability. The certainty of a high viability state of the bridges in operation can only be achieved by using the risk analysis for bridges, adequate inspection and monitoring methods, by making a correct evaluation of the degradation and adopting optimal solutions for repairs and rehabilitation. The seminar was a good opportunity to share the information and experience referring to these challenges and dealt with (1) Management, (2) Inspection (3) Repair and Rehabilitation (4) Evaluation (5) Inspection and Monitoring (6) Construction.

The seminar has obtained a lot of contributions due to discussions on important topics such as risk analyses and risk management of bridges, bridge inspection, new bridge repair and rehabilitation methods, estimation of load carrying capacity of bridges, monitoring of bridges and nevertheless rehabilitation solutions. Various rehabilitation solutions, inspection and monitoring methods of the bridges were presented during the two-day technical sessions. The similarity of concepts, in spite of local peculiarities, led participants to call for a common inspection method of bridge structures.

The session called "Evaluation", summed up the solutions for the evaluation of the bearing capacity of bridges applied in different countries, illustrated in concrete examples. The presentations provided important information about the evaluation possibilities of the forces which act upon the cable stays and also the advantages of using the WIM system as the non-destructive determination of the bearing capacity. New technologies associated with material improvement and new design for modern repair and rehabilitation methods for bridges were also presented. The Romanian experts have presented repair and rehabilitation solutions applicable to the reinforced concrete structures under acceptable financial conditions. These solutions, which are specific for small structures, differ from those used for bridges with big spans and the cable stayed ones. It was emphasized, that the maintenance of the bridges is less expensive if the repair or rehabilitation solution, chosen by the designer is from financial point of view at least at an average level. It was also concluded that the viability state of bridges cannot be maintained without an adequate expense level.

This much appreciated seminar was concluded by a particularly relevant visit of to the Basarab Overpass, Mihai Bravu Bridge and Otopeni Overpass, in the vicinity of the Romanian capital.