Bewertung und Ertüchtigung von Bestandsbrücken: Historische Skizzen und Erfahrungen mit dem hessischen Straßenbrückenbestand.

Evaluation and strengthening of existing bridges – historical outlines and findings regarding the Hessian road bridge inventory Two short histographical sketches introduce the concepts of refurbishment, condition and load‐bearing capacity assessment between 1700 and 2010 and take a look at the development of the recalculation of existing bridges. Based on project sketches, the hidden safety features of existing road bridges are worked out and procedures for achieving efficient structural bridge strengthening are presented. The focus is on the determination of real object‐specific traffic load models, calibrated structural analyses and additive and non‐destructive strengthening methods. Some critical comments on planning acceleration and the current approval system, together with the demand that bridge construction should be reflected in the common objective of "traffic", broaden the definition of strengthening holistically. This offers the opportunity to stimulate a discussion about the sensible handling of existing bridges as part of our road infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]