TU1406 COST Action - Quality specifications for roadway bridges, standardization at a European level (BridgeSpec)

2016-01-01

Matos, José C.

Asset management strategies rely on maintenance actions to keep infrastructures atdesired levels of performance. In case of roadway bridges, specific performance indicators areestablished for their components and, when combined, allow to evaluate the overallperformance. These indicators, which can be qualitative or quantitative based, are obtainedduring principal inspections through visual examination, non-destructive testing and bytemporary or permanent monitoring systems. After being obtained, these indicators are thencompared with performance goals in order to evaluate if quality control plans areaccomplished. It is possible to verify the existence in Europe of multiple methods used toquantify these indicators and how such goals are specified. COST Action TU1406 aims toestablish a European guideline in this matter, addressing new indicators related to sustainableand economic performance of roadway bridges. An overview of this Action, with a specialliaison to the sustainability issues, is provided along this paper.