Diagnóstico de manifestações patológicas para recuperação de ponte de concreto armado

It is important to identify the pathological manifestations in bridges and find effective methods for its rehabilitation, in order to change that situation. In Paraná State, Brazil, there is a significant number of bridges, constructed in the 1960`s, that miss a regular inspection and maintenance, and the consequence are occurrence of many of these manifestations. This paper presents the techniques used for the diagnosis and rehabilitation of a bridge over Xagú river, composed of reinforced concrete and steel elements. For this purpose, it was held a visual inspection at the bridge with photographic records. The diagnostic proves that the ineffectiveness of the expansion joints caused the emergence of cracks along the concrete frames, thus enabling the entrance of water in the structure and causing other types of degradation mechanisms, as well as leaching (lixiviation), carbonation, corrosion of armors and releasing of concrete from the structure. The results of the inspection shows that the pathologies do not appear in an isolated manner, and thus, to recover the structure, it is not worth to repair the elements individually, but considering the origins of the problem to avoid that the structure deteriorate once again.