Nincs diacm

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Improving assessment, optimisation of
maintenance and development of database for
Masonry Arch Bridges
Report on UIC Project
Zoltán Orbán
Project Manager
Email orbanz_at_witch.pmmf.hu
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Background
Huge population of masonry arch railway bridges
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Concerns raised
Are they reliable enough?
Will they withstand future loads?
Higher axle loads
Increased train speed
Higher containerised road traffic
Remaining service life?
Replacement or Rehabilitation?
Ponte do Côa, Portugal
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UIC Project (State-of-the-Art Phase 2002-2003)
Principle objective
Collect and summarise tools, literature, railway
experience
Inventory (number, characteristics, typical
damages)
State-of-the-Art of Assessment
State-of-the-Art of Inspection
State-of-the-Art of Maintenance and Repair
Best practice
State of the Art
Viaduc de Saint-Chamas, France
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Participants
Partaking Railways (14)
Task Leader MAV (HUNGARY), NR (UK), SNCF
(FRANCE), DB (GERMANY), CD (CZECH REPUBLIC),
JBV (NORWAY), ÖBB (AUSTRIA), REFER (PORTUGAL),
SBB (SWITZERLAND), RENFE (SPAIN), RFI (ITALY),
PKP (POLAND), JapanRail- RTRI (JAPAN) IR (India)
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InventoryStatistics on the Masonry Railway Arch
Bridge Population
Number of bridges
Viaduc dArnaville (SNCF)
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Statistics on the Masonry Arch Railway Bridge
Population/European statistics/

• 200 000 masonry arch
• bridges and culverts

• 80 000 masonry arch
• bridges with span gt 2m

• 60 of total
• railway bridge population!

Viaduc dArnaville (SNCF)
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Statistics on the Masonry Arch Railway Bridge
Population/European statistics/
Number of spans

• Majority of masonry
• arches are single span
• ( ? 85)

Length of spans

• ? 60 of spans are
• not exceeding 2m

• ? 80 of spans are
• not exceeding 5m

Viaduc de Morlaix, France
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Statistics on the Masonry Arch Railway Bridge
Population/European statistics/
Age of bridges

• Majority of arches are
• between 100 and 150 years
• ( ? 70)

Condition of bridges

• Majority are in good
• and medium condition
• ( ? 85)

• Large number are in poor or very poor condition

Viaduc de Morlaix, France
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Main types of structural problems
1 Very frequent (occurrence ? 50)
2 Frequent (occurrence ? 25)
3 Occasional (occurrence ? 10)
4 Rarely (occurrence ? 5)
5 Exceptional (occurrence lt 5)
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There is no consistent description for defects
A Damage Catalogue should be developed at an
International level
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Assessment of Masonry Arches
To MEXE or NOT to MEXE?
General use of MEXE
Disadvantages
Advantages
Significantly underestimates the
load-carrying capacity (but not always!)
Limited to certain structures and
conditions The method is not transparent
Cannot be used for serviceability check
Simple, quick, inexpensive Based on visual
inspection There is no other widely used
approximate method available
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Assessment of Masonry Arches
Why other methods are less used?
Insufficient understanding of arch behaviour
Unsettled acceptability criteria
Difficulties in modelling
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Difficulties in modelling
Transverse effects (3D)
Load distribution
Arch-soil interaction
Multispan effects
Non-linear behaviour
Interaction of blocks
LARGE UNCERTAINTY IN INPUT PARAMETERS!
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Variety of analysis tools
Complex FEM/DEM systems
Simple tools
Multi-level assessment procedure
Simple and reliable assessment tools are still
needed
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Inspection of Arches
Dominance of visual methods
Destructive methods are still indispensable
Tendency towards NDT methods
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Variety of NDT Methods
Guidelines are needed to help interpret NDT
measurements
Destructive and NDT methods should be harmonised
Closer collaboration is needed between NDT
specialists and bridge engineers
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Maintenance and Rehabilitation
How the maintenance systems are built up?
C Contractor organisation
MT Maintenance Team
What are the most frequent repair measures?
How effective are the repair measures?
How interventions are planned?
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Restoration of waterproofing
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Restoration of piers and foundations
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Restoration and strengthening of arch barrel
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Restoration and strengthening of arch barrel
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Restoration of 3D integrity
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Masonry arches should be preserved and not
replaced
Measures should rely more on existing capacity
Physical and chemical compatibility with the
existing system
Solutions are needed for serviceability problems
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Repair guides are needed with standard drawings
Testing the efficiency of new repair techniques
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Maintenance Planning
What Target Reliabilities are required for
existing bridges?
Ideal deterioration curve
Preventive Maintenance
How to verify efficiency of rehabilitation
measures?
Performance (Reliability)
Essential Maintenance
How to describe the degradation process?
Guide is needed to Maintenance Planning and LCM
of masonry arches
Performance limit
Age, Years
T
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Follow-up project (2004-2006)
Improving assessment, optimisation of
maintenance and development of database for
masonry arch bridges
Principle objectives
Help life-cycle management
Reduce maintenance costs
Exchange good practice
Revision of existing UIC Code
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Work Breakdown Structure
Work Packages
Information Database
Assessment
Inspection
Maintenance
C O R E

• Computerised
• modules

• Damage
• Catalogue

• Guide to
• Repairs

• WEB page
• Info. System

T A S K S

• Guide to
• assessment

• Guide to
• NDT methods

• Testing new
• methods

• Buiding up
• Database

• Revision of UIC Code 778-3

C O M P L.

• Destructive
• T. Methods

• Degradation
• modelling

• Supplementary
• Software

• Serviceability
• and Reliability
• Assessment

• Life-Cycle
• Management

• Guide to load
• tests and
• monitoring

T A S K S
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Information Database on the Internet
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Screenshots from Database
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Screenshots from Database
Photo Collection
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Screenshots from Database
Downloads
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Discussion Forum
Available for Registered users
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Database of Experts
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Glossary of Terms Dictionary
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Masonry Arch Bridges
Improving assessment, optimisation of
maintenance and development of database
Thank you for your attention!
www.orisoft.pmmf.hu/masonry