Introduction. There has been a significant increase in the weight and traffic volume of vehicles on motor roads. It has been stated that the solution of the problem of the safe maintenance of bridges depends on the correct determination of the bridges load capacity taking into account the influence of the defects of their structures. Every year in the world as a result of overloading the bridges deterioration with heavy consequences occur, therefore the task of determining the influence of defects on the bearing capacity of structures is relevant.
Problem statement. In conditions of limited financing of the road sector of Ukraine, the age of road bridges is constantly increasing, the number of defects in structures is growing. The solution of the problem of safe maintenance of bridges is connected with the necessity to determine the bridges load capacity taking into account the influence of defects in their structures. In this connection, a number of works are devoted to this issue. However, these works do not include a systematic approach to ensuring the reliable and safe bridge operation. The Analytical Expert Bridge Management System (AESUM) functions in Ukravtodor. This software complex accumulates all the information about the results of bridges investigations on the roads of national importance, it includes the data about the defects of structural elements.
Objective. The aim of the work is the development, on the basis of the data analysis of road bridge investigations, which are collected in AESUM, a methodology for detecting the defects affecting the bearing capacity of structures that may lead to their destruction.
Materials and methods. Modern concept of bearing capacity of a road bridge and its basic elements as well as the types of bearing capacity depending on reaching by them the limit states of group 1 and 2 are considered. The given examples of loss of bearing capacity of bridge structures as a result of their reaching the limit stats are defined, the causes of deterioration are defined. Based on the investigation results analysis of road bridges by means of the AESUM database, the defects of bridge structures have been detected which affect the bearing capacity of bridges and can cause the deterioration of bridges.
Results. Systematization of defects in the software complex of AESUM about their influence on the bearing capacity of structures is carried out, the usage of this system will allow determining the bridges with the potential to deterioration. It will allow determining the structures that need to be repair first of all and ensure reliable and accident-free operation of road bridges.
