During their whole lifetime, buildings and other structures have to be maintained regularly in
order to ensure a safe and unrestricted use. Poor maintenance can result in the occurrence of
major damages that could put the construction of the buildings at risk. When it comes to the
maintenance of the bridges, a dilemma may arise, would it be more sensible to renovate and
add to the existing construction or to build a completely new construction.
This paper deals with a certain reinforced concrete bridge for which a damage report has been
made. Based on the report, a proposal of remedial actions in case of a renovation of the bridge
and a description of a complete reconstruction of the bridge have been prepared. Both
alternatives are compared based on the price, safety, and transport links. The comparison
shows that in case of this certain bridge, a renovation is more sensible than a new construction.
|