Methods of on-site inspection of a reinforced concrete bridge exemplified by the bridge over the river Kosopasha

Introduction. An on-site inspection method is a visual examination of an engineering structure aimed at the detection of defects, damages, and disturbances of a construction facility and further issuance of recommendations for their elimination. An on-site inspection method is among the principal ones applied, as it serves to identify all defects of bridge structures during their service lives. Materials and methods. The structures of the bridge over the Kosopasha river, located at the 5+910 km of the Pasha – Sviritsa – Zagubye motor road, the Volkhov District, Leningrad Region, were inspected. An on-site inspection method was applied to collect the information and perform the preliminary analysis. Results. The co-authors described the construction of the bridge elements, including the road deck topping, expansion joints, the safety parapet, sidewalks, hand rails, water insulation, the drain line, the bridge approach, the span, bridge support structures, piers, the bridge abutment, and the under-bridge area. They analyzed the condition of these elements at the time of their inspection; they compiled a report on defects, damages and the bridge deck capacity. The main defects include concrete leaching accompanied by concrete reinforcement denuding, concrete cracking and chipping, absence of safety parapet, partial destruction of rails, and failure of abutment strengthening constructions. Conclusions. Recommendations for the further operation of the bridge were formulated on the basis of inspection results. A set of measures is proposed with the purpose of eliminating the defects and further safe operation of the bridge structure. The recommendations include a set of repair works in respect of particular joints and constructions: removal of dust and dirt from the elements of the bridge topping and sidewalks, repair of minor damages of reinforced concrete structures, shore protection aimed at abutment reconstruction, installation of the safety parapet.