ABSTRACT
Currently, the Roads Department of Chile has a maintenance plan for the traditional bridges that covers: bridges composed by concrete/steel girders, concrete slab, concrete piers, abutment and foundation made up with footings or piles. This plan is based on the professional experience in the assessment of the performance of bridges.
The development of the bridge engineering in Chile has introduced new typologies in the design such as: cable-stayed bridges, suspension bridges, arch bridges among others. Authorities realize the importance of the definition of a new plan of maintenances focused on the updating of the current plan for traditional bridges and the inclusion of a new chapter for cable supported bridges.
The paper presents a proposal for a maintenance plan of traditional structures (bridges and footbridge) and for cable supported bridges in Chile. The aim of this program is to deliver to the Road Department of the Public Works Ministry a tool to improve the management and conservation of the bridges through preventive inspections focused on the detection of the main pathologies and strengthening programs. This plan will optimize the behavior of the bridges, reducing the economic cost.
The proposal is focused in four activities, namely:
Inspection techniques applied in bridges;
Inspection protocols, including sheet inspection;
Technical visits, defining, in corresponding technical reports, the implementation of destructive and nondestructive testing;
Proposal for monitoring plan, instrumentation and maintenance
Principal Elements of a Traditional Bridge in Chile (Road Manual). https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781315207681/cd556cd4-4dcf-4efe-8e29-56fc67b8bfbd/content/fig339_1.tif"/>Finally, the results of the new system of management are included in future versions of the Roads Manual as related to the Bridge Department, with code applied to the design, construction and maintenance of bridges in Chile, as part of the philosophy for the life cycle of the structures.
