Experimental Research of Corrosion Effects on Steel Bridges

Abstract

Bridges are significant elements of the transport infrastructure, so they should be in operation throughout the whole design life. Therefore, it is necessary to know the main causes of damages and failures of the bridges. The corrosion of structural steel caused by atmospheric influences as well as the bridge exploitation cause a cross-sectional reduction of structural elements and, consequently, a decrease of the resistance of steel bridge members. The article deals with corrosion and its impact on steel bridge elements in order to use this data for developing actual corrosion model appropriate for design of structures on durability.