Diagnosis of pathologies in bridges of the road system in Brazil

Infrastructure is an indispensable and decisive requirement for the economic development of a country; it is directly linked to the set of structural economic activities and serves as the foundation for the development of other activities. In this context, the bridges have fundamental importance to the social and economical development of the cities, because the roads are to ensure the entry of inputs on farms, as well as the disposal of products and free movement of populations. The aim of this study is to present a survey of the existing bridges in the south region of Brazil, more specifically in the city of Pato Branco, identifying the most recurrent damages, in order to provide bases to administrators, with the intention of ensuring the correct functioning of the transport infrastructure and in the preservation of public property and security for the users. Data collection was conducted through visits, using the method of visual and photographic records. After the analysis was done, we identified several pathological manifestations, both in concrete and wood bridges, such as moisture stains, cracks, corrosion, erosion, clogging of drains; wood decay, lack of verticality of the pillars and foundation repression, among others. Moreover, there was little or no maintenance on the existing bridges. Similar conditions can be observed in most cities in the south region of the country.