ABSTRACT
A steel shell bridge superstructure constructed in the late 60s of the XX century was the subject of the load-carrying capacity assessment to evaluate its safety level. After 55 years of service, severe corrosion, weld cracks and local plastic deformations were discovered in the steel superstructure. To provide a basis for rational decision-making about further repair works, the national guidelines for assessing the load-carrying capacity of existing road bridges were used. The assessment procedure began with a field examination of damages by visual inspection and NDT follow-up, followed by a finite element analysis to investigate the load-carrying capacity of the bridge, taking into account the influence of damages on the structural safety of the steel superstructure. The calculations showed that the superstructure has a significantly reduced level of safety. Based on the assessment results, the final decision has been made to close the bridge for service and replace the superstructure.
