ABSTRACT
Reinforced concrete (RC) and prestressed concrete (PC) bridges and viaducts are critical infrastructure facilities of road networks for which an adequate approach has to be adopted to evaluate degradation phenomena over time. This paper presents a study carried out within the BRIDGE|50 research project aimed at evaluating corrosion conditions of a group of structural members taken from an existing viaduct demolished after 50 years of service life. The study concerns two adjacent spans of this viaduct that have been deconstructed, obtaining some precast PC deck beams and PC pier caps for wide investigations. This paper discusses the results of tests that have involved the application of non-destructive techniques (based on magnetic and electrochemical methods) and the collection of samples for laboratory analysis. The results highlight some aspects which need to be investigated for an effective approach to condition assessment of RC/PC bridges and viaducts.
