Safer road bridges are in sight thanks to the BridgeSpec COST Action. Inspection procedures from its meetings are being included in international norms, while publications, courses and a professional association sustain the Action’s achievements.
Dramatic events, such as the Genoa road bridge collapse in Italy in August 2018, are a reminder that high standards of bridge maintenance are essential to preserve lives. A network of researchers from 43 countries – COST Action on ‘Quality specifications for roadway bridges, standardization at a European level’ (BridgeSpec) – has developed a quality control procedure that is influencing international standards.
The procedure resulted from BridgeSpec meetings and workshops involving bridge owners, engineers and international standards experts. It could help road-bridge inspectors to identify problems when there is still time to correct these safely and cost-effectively.
Raising standards
This close collaboration has led the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), the Joint Committee on Structural Safety and The International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib) to adopt parts of the quality control procedure, to build safer road bridges worldwide.
Another outcome is the founding in March 2019 of the European Association on Quality Control of Bridges and Structures – EUROSTRUCT. This organisation allows researchers to continue the valuable cooperation started during the COST Action meetings.
Other results from BridgeSpec networking include over 60 journal papers, more than 20 special sessions at international conferences and 11 EU-funded and national projects, along with training and new research to continue to develop road bridge safety.
Read more about COST Action BridgeSpec