Structural Integrity Evaluation of the “Constitución de 1812 bridge”, over the Cádiz bay (Cádiz, Spain)

Abstract

As required by the latest regulations, an inspection and maintenance plan has been drafted for “Constitución de 1812 bridge over the Cádiz bay” (Cadiz), which defines the tasks to be performed in the different elements of the bridge during its service life. The part of the plan related to the inspection of the steel structure has a section dedicated to the inspection of defects or notches that can be produced in the steel deck, providing critical defect sizes above which the safety of the structure would be compromised. With this purpose, in the most stressed points of the deck, the construction details which are more susceptible to fatigue have been identified. Fatigue tests of these details have been performed to complete a structural integrity assessment which also comprises the determination of the material fracture toughness and the definition of critical crack sizes. The tests were carried out on specimens obtained with the same steel grades used in the bridge and with the same welding procedures practiced in the structure. The results show that typical critical crack sizes are around 12 mm, with structural details having critical crack sizes around 6 mm.