Lifespan evaluation of 8 bridges of the Indiana Toll Road: A case study

This paper shows the practical experience achieved by evaluating the lifespan of some existing stractures under extreme weather conditions, in order to decide on either demolition or repair. The applied methodology shows the feasibility of the approach based on "durability engineering" according to mainframe of current models of degradation. Thus, by using both relatively conventional testing methods and the mentioned available models, it was possible to estimate the remaining lifetime of these stractures. Nevertheless, some difficulties appear when applying theory to practice, as pointed out in this paper.