Managing timber bridges: without overstressing

For many engineers in local government, looking after timber bridges is a major problem. The bridges are often over stressed from excessive loads combined with deterioration and the engineers looking after them are over stressed in knowing where to start in gaining an accurate understanding of the condition of the asset and managing it effectively. As such, effective assessment and management tools are essential to ensure that risks to public safety are minimised and contained. This paper presents an overview of effective strategies for risk management of timber bridges that have been developed over the past twenty years, including reliable condition assessment and repair techniques that have found application both in Australia and a number of countries in Europe and North America. (a) For the covering record of the conference, please refer to ITRD number E216953.