Safety Evaluation of an Existing PRC Bridge Beam: Preliminary Outcomes of In-Situ Test

Assessing the safety of existing infrastructure remains a critical concern for infrastructure management authorities. In Italy, a significant number of reinforced concrete (RC) and prestressed concrete (PRC) bridges were constructed during the 1960s and 1970s. Many of these bridges are still in operation, raising questions about their ultimate resistance after more than 50 years. This study presents preliminary results of the experimental investigation of the ultimate behavior of a PRC bridge beam extracted from a bridge deck built around 1960, specifically the Mollere Viaduct located near the town of Ceva (Italy) along the “Torino-Savona highway - A6”. The PRC beam followed a simple support static scheme, with a total span of 34.60m and end half-joints. Post-tensioning was employed as the prestressing technique. The paper outlines the key considerations in planning the experimental campaign and concludes by highlighting some preliminary outcomes of the structural behavior.