ABSTRACT
Maintenance of bridge assets is a well recognised problem in many countries. (Graham. 1995, Kasal & Anthony, 2004). Although millions of dollars are set aside annually, the problem is more significant for smaller council bodies requiring to operate within the constraints of a restrictive budget. Under these circumstances expansive testing techniques are not feasible for local councils Samali et al. (2002) to make informed decisions. Councils rely on the guidance provided in typical bridge inspection manuals and the expertise of the bridge inspector to identify the existing condition of bridge elements in order to prioritise maintenance. However, this approach is prone to errors albeit the availability of methods of non-destructive testing (NDT).
