Refurbishment of the Arosa Island Bridge

Abstract

Inaugurated in 1985, this outstanding bridge showed in 2005 little corrosion on some zones of the deck and the piers. The Regional Government of Galicia ordered a special inspection that led to a preventative refurbishment project, in spite of the fact that the damages were rather incipient. Updating the platform was also included in the design. The article contains some specific conclusions related to the importance of microclimates around the members of the bridge, as well as some ideas regarding the conjunction of sacrificial anodes and coatings to provide additional life-span to the structure. The project also included, before the Spanish Standard EHE-08 formally required it, a maintenance plan that identified the critical inspection points, criteria to interpret eventual future damages, the life-span of different elements and procedures to replace them.