Development of a safety-inspection method for river bridges in Turkey

Abstract

In this paper, findings of a research project about river bridges in Turkey are shared and details of the developed safety-inspection method based on hydrological and hydraulic factors are presented. In the project, the Western Black Sea Basin was chosen as the pilot area, where the basin is mountainous with steep slopes and has a rainy climate with frequent flash floods. Many river bridges in the basin were inspected at different flow conditions throughout the project duration of three years. The developed safety-inspection method is composed of four main parts: evaluation of watershed hydrology and its flood potential, stream stability, bridge characteristics and a rapid scour assessment. A structural assessment is also included in the method. Five river bridges in the area were chosen for detailed inspection and application of the method. Results showed that the method was capable of identifying and ranking the bridges in regard to maintenance needs and forming a comprehensive inventory for bridge engineers.