INSPECTING AND REPAIRING OLD BRIDGES: EXPERIENCES AND LESSONS

The concept of life cycle applied to building structures is quite recent. In the past, constructions were built to be everlasting, and the number of massive buildings and bridges still in service apparently confirms the soundness of this approach. When reinforced concrete was introduced, new possibilities were open to engineers, in a time when the end of a structure’s life was still considered as an extreme and very remote hypothesis. However, this belief was soon to be faced with the evidence of the deterioration of the concrete surfaces and with the corrosion of steel bars and strands, so that the concept of durability had to be introduced. It therefore became clear that the structures’ constructions have to be monitored and periodically maintained, so as to extend their service life as much as possible. This paper gives an account of studies and rehabilitation works carried out on bridges located in the north of Italy, providing some remarks regarding the maintenance of structures of the past and the design of structure for the future.