Inspection Rating and Management System for Tubular Steel Pedestrian Bridges

摘要

Tubular steel pedestrian bridges, like all bridges, must be inspected and maintained to limit the threat to life and safety. While many types of bridge inspection systems are in use today, visual inspection is the generally accepted method used to measure corrosion. However, the geometry of tubular members makes it difficult to measure their thickness and determine if there has been any section loss. With the use of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques, specifically the use of an ultrasonic flaw detector, the thickness of these members can be accurately measured. Formulas were derived from NDE to predict the safety of this type of structure based on the geometry of the bridge and thickness of the members. These results were then used to develop a management system for tubular steel pedestrian bridges.