Bridge Maintenance Strategy
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Our bridge maintenance policy includes inspection, prioritisation, programming and maintenance. We also have a statutory duty to control the movement of abnormal loads to protect highway structures.
Maintenance consists of providing acceptable levels of public safety, arresting the effects of serious deterioration, steady-state maintenance and the upgrading of sub-standard features. |
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Where possible, maintenance work is incorporated into bridge strengthening and highway maintenance schemes, particularly where the work would disrupt the highway if done separately. The principal items of policy which form the strategy for steady state maintenance and upgrading are concerned with:
- the safety of bridge parapets;
- problems (e.g. scour) affecting bridges across watercourses;
- unwaterproofed reinforced concrete bridges;
- improvement of surface water drainage on arch bridges;
- the renewal of bridge expansion joints;
- repairing or rebuilding retaining walls;
- roadside bridge piers which might be hit by vehicles;
- increased traffic volumes causing damage to structures;
- ducts and tendons in post-tensioned pre-stressed concrete bridge decks;
- repainting of structural steelwork; and
- the particular problems of Listed structures and Ancient Monuments.
The Five-Year Bridge Maintenance Programme
The Council is responsible for over 800 highway bridges and 3 miles (4.75 km) of retaining walls, and has a legal liability to contribute towards the maintenance of five British Waterways Swing Bridges.
The condition of our bridges has deteriorated in recent years due to insufficient funding. During this time repair works have been focussed on only serious defects affecting public safety. There are currently over 300 separately identified maintenance schemes in the bridge maintenance programme.
For further information please contact John Violet 01244 973690 |
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