Abstract

It is a challenge to obtain cost effective operation and maintenance of large cable supported 

bridges. They do not fit into the O&M framework used for normal highway bridges. At the same 

time, they represent large investments and are bottlenecks in the infrastructure network. Today it 

has become common practice in design of new bridges also to focus on durability, access ways, 

and setting up a system for risk based inspection and focused maintenance. For existing bridges, 

clients strive towards a modern approach to O&M by retrofit of bridge elements, improved access 

ways and a specific approach to inspection and maintenance. At the same time, O&M "rules of the 

game" have changed with the last 5 years of digitalisation resulting in new opportunities for 

efficient O&M. A similar potential also exists in exploiting accumulated knowledge about exposure 

and degradation mechanisms and utilize a data driven approach to control bridge criticality.

Keywords: Bridges; Operation and Maintenance; Inspection; Life Cycle Costs; Bridge Management Systems