THE BRIDGE ASSESSMENT AND STRENGTHENING PROGRAMME IN SCOTLAND

Following the completion of the trunk road bridge assessment programmes on 31 December 1998 the Scottish Executive had 57 bridges classified as provisionally sub-standard. A proportion of these are expected to be shown to be adequate following more rigorous assessments however the majority will require some form of strengthening or interim measures to be applied to allow the structures to continue to carry traffic. A project was undertaken to develop a rational yet practical framework for the prioritisation of bridge strengthening. The framework will provide a basis for the consistent comparison of different bridges and a defendable basis for the allocation of funds to maximise the benefits from the available resources. It was acknowledged early on that acceptable levels of risk cannot be quantified at present and as such only comparative risk assessment could be considered. The framework considers both risk and consequence and like any analytical technique has its limits. It is intended that the framework will be used with engineering judgement to allow the prioritisation of the strengthening programme. For the covering abstract see ITRD E108224.