Detecting road issues early vital to keep bridges safe: Engineering experts

Bengaluru: Most bridge construction failures are due to either error of intent, execution, or concept, noted experts at an international seminar on advancements in bridge management held in the city on Wednesday.

The two-day international seminar organised by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Indian Roads Congress (IRC), Permanent International Association of Road Congresses (PIARC) or the World Road Congress, and the Public Works department, Karnataka, explored newer materials in construction, structural failures of bridges, forensic engineering and risk mitigation strategies to avoid bridge collapses.

Case studies from Australia, Belgium and the United States of America were presented as either best practices or learning opportunities about what can be done to improve the condition and longevity of bridges. For example, PIARC experts explained how Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) for pedestrian bridges has shown promising results in durability, ease of installation and maintenance.

Some of the sustainable materials used globally in bridge construction are still relatively new to India, said Prof S B Hegde, professor at Jain College of Engineering and Technology, Hubballi and visiting professor at Pennsylvania State University, USA.

"Some countries use photocatalytic concrete in bridge construction, which comprises titanium dioxide that can dissociate pollutants and help in pollution control. Self-healing concrete is now being used to retrofit structures in New Delhi and even in Cyberabad but there is always more we can do," he told DH.

Civil and structural engineering consultant Alok Bhowmick, who spoke on risk mitigation strategies for bridge failures, explained that any bridge's collapse has a high impact on sustainability as it requires time, equipment and money for restoration, going against the Sustainable Development Goals.

Experts emphasised the importance of identifying road distress early and forensic engineering, which means investigating causes of bridge failures, besides hypothesising what impacts bridge strength, as crucial to bridge management.