Title:
Inspecting Concrete Bridge Substructures/Concrete Bridge
Author(s):
R. Richard Avent, Mohamed Alawady, and Ernest Heymsfield
Publication:
Concrete International
Volume:
23
Issue:
1
Appears on pages(s):
41-45
Keywords:
DOI:
Date:
1/1/2001
Abstract:
Over three-quarters of the bridges in the National Bridge Inventory are built over waterways with most having concrete substructures. Because underwater bridge inspections have been mandated since the late 1980s, most states have now completed several inspections. Included in this article is a summary of lessons learned from these inspections. Specific areas addressed are: the effectiveness and limitations of underwater inspections, how effective record keeping can help track future deterioration, specific problems associated with scour detection, what types of substructures are most susceptible to scour, and examples of scour damage found during underwater inspections.