EXPERIENCE WITH BRIDGE MONITORING IN CROATIA

The paper discusses bridge monitoring practice in Croatia. The focus of the study is application of bridge monitoring techniques to provide insight into in-service performance of concrete bridges in distinctive exposure conditions of Croatian Adriatic region. Six large concrete arch bridges located along Adriatic coast shall be analysed for this purpose. The most famous of these bridges is Krk I bridge, still the largest conventional reinforced concrete arch bridge in the world, even 25 years after its completion. Many problems were identified on older of these bridges, resulting in huge and expensive repairs, thus questioning whether such structures may provide a durable solution under present climatic conditions. Bridge monitoring is a powerful tool which might be used to clarify this matter and keep attractive concrete structures attractive even under severest exposure conditions.