ABSTRACT
The assessment of existing bridges is becoming more important in the Federal Republic of Germany, as most German infrastructure was built between 1950 and 1970. However, the actual condition or damage of the structures could rarely be detected using standard methods. The following paper outlines an economical method of damage detection for a problem occurring on a prestressed concrete bridge built in the sixties. This method uses vertical displacements caused by damage to the underside of the bridge. These displacements are determined using reflectorless electronic distance measurements along with numerical FE simulations.
