Reports of the prematurely-deteriorating Champlain Bridge in Montreal have sparked renewed discussion about the lifespan of major bridges. The Champlain Bridge, completed in 1962 with an expected lifespan of 100 years, has had significant deterioration, much attributed to a $2 million savings at the time of its construction; see commentary here. In short, the combination of pre-stressed concrete girders and the lack of a drainage plan resulted in an influx of salt-infused water from winter road-salting operations, and deterioration of the pre-stressing cables. The replacement is estimated to cost between $3 and $5 billion.
Many notable bridges have lasted well beyond 100 years, including the Brooklyn Bridge (1883), the Forth River Rail Bridge in Scotland (1890), and the Victoria Bridge (1860) located just a few miles from the Champlain Bridge and built more than 100 years earlier. To be fair, each of these bridges has had major maintenance and in some instances structural repair work. Clearly, though, certain bridges last longer than others.
As another example, the original Tappan Zee Bridge was opened in 1955, and construction of its replacement is now underway. A 2009 New York state report on the original bridge described its design as "non-redundant," meaning that one critical component failure could result in large-scale failure; the bridge was featured in a History Channel show entitled "The Crumbling of America." The new bridge is being designed with a 100-year lifespan; info about the "New NY Bridge" is available here.
We have collectively learned much over the years about bridge design, construction and maintenance. Presumably, lessons learned from the Champlain Bridge and the Tappan Zee bridge – among others – are being applied to bridge design and construction going forward. Hopefully, lessons learned about maintenance will also be applied by the public owners. All so that design lifespan can be achieved.
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