Mechanical and Durability Parameters of the Concrete Bridges under Service in the Czech Republic

Abstract

RC bridges are the typical structures exposed to the combined effect of carbonation, chloride ingress, and mechanical load. Due to this, the structures are susceptible to corrosion, which influences the load-carrying capacity and safety. An important part of the preparation for performance-based design is an analysis of the durability of existing structures to improve the reliability of available numerical tools. In this study, the correlations between compressive strength, chloride content, pH, exposure time, and risk factor were analysed. All were evaluated based on the in-situ measurements performed on regular inspections of 14 motorway bridges under service in the Czech Republic.