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RM Chap 1
RM Chap 1
Today, bridges play a critical role in our transportation system since it rides over
urban congestion, waterways, valleys, etc., but are vulnerable to damage because of
human actions and natural calamities. So, when catastrophic events transpire,
specifically storms and earthquake, these structures must be able to handle the
complexities and continually stand to serve its purpose in the transportation system. To
guarantee its strength and durability so that necessary repairs or replacement could be
done.
Based on the generated Bridge Management System output for CY 2015, there
infrastructures are already aging because some of the bridges were built in the year
1930’s and others are as early as 1900’s. Old bridges do not die or fade away; they
deteriorate. Thus, the structure’s ability when it is first erected does not ensure that it
will last for all time. Therefore, these structures require inspections and proper
maintenance to guarantee the safety of bridge users and for the extension of the bridge
service life.
In avoidance of bridge failures, the DPWH which is currently responsible for the
highways, has developed programs which can help in the development of the national
bridges, these includes the asset preservation program and the network development
program. The asset preservation program includes the routine and major maintenance
and rehabilitation/reconstruction of bridges while the network development program is
comprised of the upgrading, replacing and constructing of the new bridges along
national roads.
fair, poor and bad. In general, bridges that fall into the "good" conditions are those
bridges which are free of defects, the "fair" condition have defects which affect the
durability of the bridge. Whereas, the "Poor" condition are those bridges that may have
defects which affect the performance and structural integrity of the structure while the
bridges that fall into the "bad" conditions are considered to have major defects that are
beyond repair.
In relation to this, the researchers picked the Lagnas, Hagonoy and Manghinao
Bridge under the Palico-Balayan-Batangas Road as the subject of their research. The
main objective of the study is to know the present condition and to assess its
Conceptual Framework
The researchers will ask the good office of the DPWH for the plans and
specifications of the three bridges. Afterward, the researchers will perform bridge
inspection in the Hagonoy Bridge, Lagnas Bridge and Manghinao Bridge using the
manual that the DPWH will provide. Site surveys and interviews will be conducted to
gather further data. Then, the gathered data will be analyzed and be compared to the
past data of the DPWH for the researchers to come up with the possible
Theories of bridge
engineering, bridge
inspection and
structural analysis
Bridge Inspection,
site surveys and
gathering relevant
data
Analyzation of
data
The researchers seek to answer the following questions regarding their study
Bridge":
1) What is the effect of the following terms in the performance of the bridge?
a) Physical Structure
2) What are the possible reasons for the bridge failure based on its present
condition?
3) What are the possible ways of improving the performance of the bridge?
The outcome of the study would be beneficial to the different sectors in the
following aspects:
province, the gathered data can be used in the future assessments of bridges.
To the community, the gathered data can be used to avoid the possible
measures of bridge failures that will result in a major inconvenience in the future.
To the Civil and Sanitary Engineering Department and students of the Batangas
State University, the study can be used as a source for future references.
The Second District of Batangas Province has 33 bridges and due to the great
number of the district’s bridges, the researchers will only cover the selected bridges
from the Palico-Balayan-Batangas City Road which includes Hagonoy Bridge, Lagnas
The study involves bridge site investigations and surveys of the structural
damages of the bridges. The researchers will perform this assessment through visual
bridge inspection of the superstructure and substructure elements. The bridge condition
rating and overall condition state were determined based on the scope of damages
acquired through inspection with the use of the DPWH bridge inspector’s manual.
In line with this, the data gathered by the researchers will be used in finding ways
Conceptual Literature
The Structure
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles without closing the way
underneath such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing
passage over the obstacle. There are many different designs that each serve a
particular purpose and apply to different situations. Designs of bridges vary depending
on the function of the bridge, the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed
and anchored, the material used to make it, and the funds available to build it.
engineering problems that must be overcome even in this simple form are inherent in
every bridge: the supports must be strong enough to hold the structure up, and the span
between supports must be strong enough to carry the loads. Every bridge engineer
should have a clear knowledge of the various terminologies used during the Bridge
design process. During the design process, every bridge can be divided broadly into two
above a baseline. It is the part of the structure which supports traffic and includes deck,
slab, and girders. All the parts of the bridge which are mounted on a supporting system
which supports the superstructure and which transfers the structural load to the
foundations.
Bridge Type
Concrete Bridge: Concrete Bridge is a structure made from concrete and built for
the purpose of covering a certain distance. Typically, concrete bridges allow vehicles or
people to cross over physical obstructions, such as lakes, rivers, valleys, or roads.
Concrete is one of the most common types of materials used in modern-day bridge
construction.
landscape. Few man-made structures combine the technical with the aesthetics in such
an evocative way. Steel is widely used around the world for the construction of bridges
from the very large to the very small. It is a versatile and effective material that provides
efficient and sustainable solutions. It dominates the markets for long span bridges,
railway bridges, footbridges, and medium span highway bridges. Landmark steel
bridges embody good design; they are fast to build and have stimulated the
Timber bridge: Timber bridge or wooden bridge is a bridge that uses timber or
wood as its principal structural material. One of the first forms of bridge, those of
was developed by the British during World War II for military use and saw extensive use
by British, Canadian and the American military engineering units. Bailey bridge is a
through-type truss bridge, the roadway being carried between two main girders. The
trusses in each girder are formed by 10-foot panels pinned end to end. In this respect,
Bridge Elements
arch or span, e.g., at the ends of a bridge. It refers to the substructure at the ends of a
bridge span or dam whereon the structure's superstructure rests or contacts. Single-
span bridges have abutments at each end which provide vertical and lateral support for
the bridge, as well as acting as retaining walls to resist lateral movement of the
the span. It is the load bearing member which supports the deck.
Bearing: It transfers loads from the girders to the pier caps. Bearing is a
component which supports part of the bridge and which transmits forces from that part
to another part of the structure whilst permitting angular and/or linear movement
between parts.
Backwalls: The vertical walls at the ends of most bridges that extend up from the
abutment seats and support the expansion joint. Backwalls are small retaining walls
which also support the approach slabs and hold back the embankment under the
approach slabs. On bridges with conventional expansion joints, the backwalls also
provide the necessary clearance between the ends of the beams and the face of the
Deck: It is the bridge floor which directly carries the traffic loads. Deck transfers
loads from the substructure to the bearing strata The element of an architectural
structure which connects it to the ground and transfers loads from the structure to the
waterflow underneath the bridge. Pier is a part of the substructure which supports the
superstructure at the end of the span. It transfers loads on the superstructure to the
foundations. Depending upon aesthetics, site, space and economic constraints various
shapes of piers are adapted to suit the requirement. Mostly Reinforced Concrete or Pre-
stressed concrete are adapted for the construction of piers. Piers are compression
members but depending on the loading and bearing articulations, piers may be
superstructure to the piers. Pier cap provides sufficient seating for the Bridge girders
system for bridges. Pile is a slender compression member driven into or formed in the
ground to resist loads. A reinforced concrete mass cast around the head of a group of
piles to ensure they act together and distribute the load among them it is known as pile
cap.
Span: The distance between two bridge supports, whether they are columns,
Wingwallare: Adjacent to the abutments and act as retaining walls. They are
generally constructed of the same material as those of abutments. The wing walls can
Bridge Inventory data is a standardized series of data items that enables the
Generally, the bridge inventory data consist of the location and graphical data,
the general data, clearances, geometry, traffic direction, type of bridge, year of
construction, public utilities carried by the bridge, the type of terrain crossed by the
bridge, type of construction, substructure type, deck material, bearing surface, drainage,
Bridge Damages
Abnormal Noise: Noise events due to vehicles passing over bridge expansion
joints occur when vehicle tires strike the rectangular face of the expansion joint units
and traverse the discontinuous surface profile. It can also be induced by the
unevenness of the surface of the expansion joint itself and of the road surface before
Buckles and Kinks: These conditions develop mostly because of damage arising
from accidents, thermal strain, overload, or added loaded conditions. The kinks are
leading cause of deterioration in concrete. When steel corrodes, the resulting rust
occupies a greater volume than the steel. This expansion creates tensile stresses in
the concrete, which can eventually cause cracking, delamination, and spalling.
bridge deck with a hammer or bar or by dragging a chain. The signals from such
sounding methods are often contaminated by ambient traffic noise and delamination
This damage is induced under load and in the presence of repeated relative surface
the formwork, often caused by using concrete that is too stiff or by not vibrating
structural elements like columns lift walls and a few beams as well.
Paint peel off: A loss of adhesion a paint coating from concrete flooring resulting
Scaling: Scaling is a very common surface defect often associated with, but not
masonry (typically concrete) which crumble into small pebble-like pieces in response to
may also include striated lines, discoloration of the masonry and pitting or rough texture
to the concrete that remains attached to the slab. Spalling is caused by heating,
mechanical pressure, or both. This heat and/or pressure cause uneven expansion of
the materials that make up the concrete (such as sand and gravel), the reinforcing steel
and the concrete mix, or the surface and subsurface layers of the concrete.
Alternatively, the heat may release the water in the concrete. Pressure created by rapid
surface during firefighting operations, can also cause spalling. These processes break
the bond that holds the solids together and thus cause the concrete to crumble.
Scouring: Scouring can be defined as a process due to which the particles of the
soil or rock around the periphery of the abutment or pier of the highway bridge
spanning over a water body, gets eroded and removed over a certain depth called
scour depth. Scouring usually occurs when the velocity of the flowing water increases
or crosses the limiting value that the soil particles can easily handle
support the needs analysis, multi-year programming and annual budgeting for the
state, establish the needs-based multi-year bridge work program and maintain the
structure to determine the bridge needs ratio (BNR) based on the actual condition state
of the bridges. To assure accurate data, inventory and condition surveys will be done
only by the Accredited Bridge Inspectors. The output of BMS is a prioritized list of
bridges ranked on the basis of BNR. This would be exported to MYPS for finalization of
established in the year 2005. In this system, an accredited bridge inspector collects data
based on bridge inventory and condition surveys. From 2005 to 2008, the BMS is still
undergoing improvements; hence the BIs started conducting surveys in the year 2009.
The transmission of data about the bridge condition started in 2010 and was completed
Related Studies
City” investigates the present condition of Calumpang Bridge that is indicative of failure
and posing a danger for a period of time. The specific objectives of the study are to
Calumpang Bridge and to suggest a recommended plan of action for the improvement
of Calumpang Bridge. The study recommends that traffic signs and road markings are
needed; load and speed limits should be posted as easily seen by the travelling public
to avoid the overloading and over speeding and there should be a strict implementation
assessed by the researchers, the overall percentage compliance of road and bridge
These projects partially complied with the standards in terms of workmanship and
identify the current condition of the selected bridges which are indicative of potential
failure and collapse, and to provide the concerned agency with feedback regarding the
present status or condition of the bridges to consider the necessity and urgency of
bridges in Batangas Province Second District.” The said study focused on the
investigation of the structural stability of the bridges indicative of potential failure and
collapse. Based on the results of bridge inspection and condition rating, design check
load and rating analysis, the researchers said conclusively that Lagnas Bridge was
structurally deficient bridge. Deterioration of bridge elements especially at the concrete
desk slab and other structural damages considerable quantities resulted in bad
condition and a load limit of 6 tons. The estimated life of the bridge is 0 to 10 years.
Synthesis
The study of Clerigo, Abegail A. et. al. (2012) is the same with the present study
because both studies assessed the structural safety of the bridge. They both used the
bridge inspection manual of the Department of Public Works and Highway in conducting
bridge inspection.
The study of Abrigonda, Richard I. et. al (2012) is different from the present study
in terms of locality of the selected bridges included in the research. Also, it focuses on
City Road while the current study focuses on the bridge condition and performance
assessment. The studies are similar in a manner that both researchers conducted
the Second District of Batangas Province” performed by Latayan, Karen Anne C. et. al
(2015) contributed to the present study for providing recommendations and possible
The present study is similar to the study “Structural Stability Analysis of Selected
because one of its subjects is the Lagnas Bridge which is a part of the present study.
The method used by both researchers is descriptive method in acquiring the necessary
data and information that supports their study. In addition to this, both study focused on