Safety Check of Reinforced Concrete Viaducts According to Past and Actual Design National Codes: A Real Case Study

This work deals with the static safety check of a real case study concerning a viaduct with simply supported prestressed concrete beams and reinforced concrete piles, recurrent in Italy in the 1960s–70s. A review of the typical design methods used in the past for bridges is provided, starting from the load case definitions and their possible combinations to the verification criteria. Moreover, the typical assumptions made in the original design procedure are shown, also considering the simplified models used. These original results are compared to the ones obtained from the application of the actual design method proposed in the national technical codes and the FEM modelling of the bridge. The whole static safety check process of the viaduct is also illustrated, starting from the structural survey plan and dynamic identification of the viaduct up to the development of the bridge structural elements checks, highlighting the most important aspects in the assessment of the typical viaduct examined.