ABSTRACT
Quality assurance and control is important in all industrial fields and construction industry is no exception. Bridge management is a part of construction industry activities that ensures that the bridge attains the desired service life and quality level. Important parts of any BMS are quality assurance and control plans that must provide the basis for quality data acquisition and processing. Reliable data related to the condition of the structures is essential for all further processes, however ensuring continuously the quality of this data is a demanding task, as the data acquisition is predominantly based on periodic visual inspections. Data processing and decision models, on the other hand, are dependent on preselected criteria and decision methods. A well-designed decision model will yield reliable result through the lifetime of its use. The third component of quality assurance and control in bridge management is maintenance planning. Bridges differ in size, condition, structural design, materials used etc., therefore these specific features need to be acknowledged in the maintenance plans. Designing unique plan for every bridge is irrational and designing a general plan for all bridges impossible. Additionally, optimizing maintenance for individual bridge may worsen optimization on the network level and wise versa. A compromise has to be made in order to implement a quality plan successfully into practice. The paper describes the components forming a bridge management plan, viable approaches and constraints accompanying their development.
