Assessment of highway structures and bridges in the UK: background to new documents

The documents for structural assessment of highway bridges, bridge substructures, retaining structures and buried structures in the UK's Design Manual for Roads and Bridges have been rewritten and updated. In bringing the documents up to date, there have been several technical changes introduced. These include efficiencies in the traffic loading model for bridges, new content on masonry arch assessment and new approaches to the assessment of substructures, retaining structures and buried structures using a Eurocode-aligned basis of assessment. This paper outlines the technical background to the key changes and highlights some of the efficiencies that can be delivered using the new documents. In addition, the paper outlines how the documents connect with related documents, including those on structural review, assessment of abnormal traffic loads, assessment of impact on bridge piers and the management of substandard structures.