Gujarat Bridge Collapse: A Wake-Up Call for Infrastructure Maintenance

The recent collapse of the 39-year-old Gambhira Bridge in Gujarat's Vadodara district has resulted in the loss of at least 13 lives, highlighting the need for regular maintenance and inspection of ageing infrastructure. The incident has raised concerns about the condition of bridges across the country, particularly those that are decades old. The bridge, built in 1985-1986, was designed to last for 50 years, but its collapse has sparked calls for a wider audit of ageing infrastructure.

Key Takeaways:

• The Gambhira Bridge was constructed in 1985-1986 with a superstructure of prestressed concrete girders and a well foundation, with 21 spans of 37.75 meters long and two spans of 33 meters.
• The bridge was designed according to the working stress method as per the then-applicable Indian Roads Congress (IRC) codes, which prioritized strength, safety factors, and material durability.
• The sudden and catastrophic failure of the prestressed concrete girder type bridge may have been caused by the corrosion of prestressed cables due to moisture ingress, poor quality of cover concrete, and cracking.
• Routine visual inspections, vibration and dynamic monitoring, weigh-in-motion sensors, non-destructive testing, and a long-term digital bridge health monitoring system are recommended to prevent failures like the Gujarat bridge collapse.
• Forensic structural investigation, including core extractions, corrosion analysis, prestressed tendon testing, and anchorage zone inspection, can help determine the failure of such structures.

Statistics:

• The bridge was in use for 39 years before its collapse.
• The bridge was designed to last for 50 years.
• 13 people have lost their lives in the collapse of the Gambhira Bridge.
• The bridge was built with 21 spans of 37.75 meters long and two spans of 33 meters.
• The corrosion of ordinary reinforcing steel in the soffit of the girder due to poor quality of cover concrete contributes significantly to failure.
• Routine visual inspections should be conducted every 6-12 months.
• Vibration analysis gives early warning signs of prestressed tendon deterioration.

Sources:

• Indian Road Congress (IRC) codes
• Gujarat bridge collapse report (no specific date mentioned)
• Article by the writer, Head, Department of Applied Mechanics and Structural Engineering, MS University of Baroda, Vadodara (no specific date mentioned), published in IE Online Media Services Pvt. Ltd., distributed by Contify.com