The effects of pre-existing damage on the safety of main bridge piers in the sea

Bridge piers founded in the sea are at risk of being weakened by cracking, corrosion and erosion. To assess whether the piers of a sea crossing are safe, it is necessary to consider pre-existing damage to the pier and its foundations. In this study, finite-element analysis was used to simulate different degrees of damage from cracking, steel corrosion, concrete corrosion and foundation erosion of a main sea-crossing pier and its piled foundation. The effect of the varying levels of damage on the behaviour of the pier and its foundation under wave action, ship collision and earthquake was then modelled. The research results provide important technical support for assessing the safety of main bridge piers in the sea.