Search Results (2)

Bridges are fundamental components of transportation infrastructure, facilitating the efficient movement of people and goods. However, the conservation of heritage bridges introduces additional challenges, encompassing environmental, social, cultural, and economic dimensions of sustainability. This study investigates risk mitigation strategies for a heritage-listed, 120-year-old reinforced concrete bridge in Australia—one of the nation’s earliest examples of reinforced concrete construction, which remains operational today. The structure faces multiple risks, including passage of overweight vehicles, environmental degradation, progressive crack development due to traffic loading, and potential foundation scouring from an adjacent stream. Due to the heritage status and associated legal constraints, only non-invasive testing methods were employed. Ambient vibration testing was conducted to identify the bridge’s dynamic characteristics under normal traffic conditions, complemented by non-contact displacement monitoring using laser distance sensors. A digital twin structural model was subsequently developed and validated against field data. This model enabled the execution of various “what-if” simulations, including passage of overweight vehicles and loss of foundation due to scouring, providing quantitative assessments of potential risk scenarios. Drawing on insights gained from the case study, the article proposes a six-phase Incident Response Framework tailored for heritage bridge management. This comprehensive framework incorporates remote sensing technologies for incident detection, digital twin-based structural assessment, damage containment and mitigation protocols, recovery planning, and documentation to prevent recurrence—thus supporting the long-term preservation and functionality of heritage bridge assets. Full article

With the rapid increase in the urban traffic volume, the traffic capacity of existing bridges could not meet the demands of urban planning in many cities, leading to the problem of reconstruction or expansion. Considering the sustainability principle in bridge structure construction while minimizing the environmental implications of the construction activities, a multi-technique hybrid method for the widening and splicing of new and old beam bridges was proposed. Firstly, according to the stress equations of the splicing interface between the new and old bridges, the control condition for the selection of the splicing materials was found, and a selection method based on the maximum stress at the splicing interface of the materials was proposed. Then, based on the control condition of the foundation settlement of the new bridges, the geometric parameters of the splicing structures, and the mechanical parameters of the splicing materials, equations for the minimum reinforcement ratio were derived according to the allowable stress value of the splicing materials. Lastly, the equivalent analogic orthotropic plate model of the splicing bridges was built, and based on that, a calculation method for the quantity of the splicing diaphragms was proposed. Also, the effectiveness of the proposed method was validated through a reconstruction and expansion project in Guangdong Province. The results showed that the maximum foundation settlements of the new bridges were smaller than the assumption values of the calculation after reconstruction of the old bridges, and no observable cracks were found in the splicing structures. The proposed method could serve as a reference for similar structure designs. Full article