Perspective Chapter: Bridge Deterioration and Failures

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to present research on bridges failures, the conditions that produce structural failures in bridges, and to better understand the processes that impact and degrade the performance and service life of bridges. While rare, bridge failures can have devastating consequences with loss of life. Bridge deterioration and the risk of failure is a continuing challenge for transportation infrastructure owners. Bridge deterioration is caused by many factors, to include increased service loads, deicing chemicals, and aggressive environmental conditions. By looking at basic bridge types and their components, the focus of research in this chapter examines seven bridges failures and the conditions that led up to their failures. The research in this chapter produced two significant findings. The causes of bridge failures can be traced back to human error in the life cycle of the bridge. The second result is insufficient systematic analysis of bridge failures, their causes, and how to prevent them. While analyzing the causes of bridge deterioration and the processes that contribute to bridge failures the goal of this chapter is to provide a better understanding how bridges deteriorate to minimize failures in the future and to build better bridges. Bridge failures are preventable.