Introduction

Today, bridges play a critical role in our transportation system since it rides over

urban congestion, waterways, valleys, etc., but are vulnerable to damage because of

human actions and natural calamities. So, when catastrophic events transpire,

specifically storms and earthquake, these structures must be able to handle the

complexities and continually stand to serve its purpose in the transportation system. To

avoid disruption, the adequate performance of the bridge should be assessed to

guarantee its strength and durability so that necessary repairs or replacement could be

done.

Based on the generated Bridge Management System output for CY 2015, there

are 33 bridges in the Batangas Province Second District. These transportation

infrastructures are already aging because some of the bridges were built in the year

1930’s and others are as early as 1900’s. Old bridges do not die or fade away; they

deteriorate. Thus, the structure’s ability when it is first erected does not ensure that it

will last for all time. Therefore, these structures require inspections and proper

maintenance to guarantee the safety of bridge users and for the extension of the bridge

service life.

In avoidance of bridge failures, the DPWH which is currently responsible for the

planning, design, construction and maintenance of infrastructure, especially national

highways, has developed programs which can help in the development of the national

bridges, these includes the asset preservation program and the network development

program. The asset preservation program includes the routine and major maintenance
and rehabilitation/reconstruction of bridges while the network development program is

comprised of the upgrading, replacing and constructing of the new bridges along

national roads.

In bridge management, conditions of bridges are assessed to the level of good,

fair, poor and bad. In general, bridges that fall into the "good" conditions are those

bridges which are free of defects, the "fair" condition have defects which affect the

durability of the bridge. Whereas, the "Poor" condition are those bridges that may have

defects which affect the performance and structural integrity of the structure while the

bridges that fall into the "bad" conditions are considered to have major defects that are

beyond repair.

In relation to this, the researchers picked the Lagnas, Hagonoy and Manghinao

Bridge under the Palico-Balayan-Batangas Road as the subject of their research. The

main objective of the study is to know the present condition and to assess its

performance to avoid nuisance in the commuters.

Conceptual Framework

The researchers will ask the good office of the DPWH for the plans and

specifications of the three bridges. Afterward, the researchers will perform bridge

inspection in the Hagonoy Bridge, Lagnas Bridge and Manghinao Bridge using the

manual that the DPWH will provide. Site surveys and interviews will be conducted to

gather further data. Then, the gathered data will be analyzed and be compared to the

past data of the DPWH for the researchers to come up with the possible

recommendations for improving the performance of the bridges.

 Existing structure
of Hagonoy bridge,
Lagnas bridge and
Manghinao bridge

Theories of bridge
engineering, bridge
inspection and
structural analysis

Bridge Inspection,
site surveys and
gathering relevant
data

Analyzation of
data

Plan of Action for

the improvement
of the bridge
performance

Statement of the problem

The researchers seek to answer the following questions regarding their study

"Bridge Condition and Performance Assessment of Lagnas, Hagonoy, and Manghinao

Bridge":

1) What is the effect of the following terms in the performance of the bridge?

a) Physical Structure

b) Traffic and Load Capacity

2) What are the possible reasons for the bridge failure based on its present

condition?
 3) What are the possible ways of improving the performance of the bridge?

Significance of the study

The outcome of the study would be beneficial to the different sectors in the

following aspects:

 To the Department of Public Works and Highway Second District of Batangas

province, the gathered data can be used in the future assessments of bridges.

 To the community, the gathered data can be used to avoid the possible

measures of bridge failures that will result in a major inconvenience in the future.

 To the future or professional researchers, the collected data can be an essential

basis for further studies.

 To the Civil and Sanitary Engineering Department and students of the Batangas

State University, the study can be used as a source for future references.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The Second District of Batangas Province has 33 bridges and due to the great

number of the district’s bridges, the researchers will only cover the selected bridges

from the Palico-Balayan-Batangas City Road which includes Hagonoy Bridge, Lagnas

Bridge, and Manghinao Bridge.

The study involves bridge site investigations and surveys of the structural

damages of the bridges. The researchers will perform this assessment through visual
bridge inspection of the superstructure and substructure elements. The bridge condition

rating and overall condition state were determined based on the scope of damages

acquired through inspection with the use of the DPWH bridge inspector’s manual.

In line with this, the data gathered by the researchers will be used in finding ways

of improving the performance of the bridge.

 CHAPTER II

Conceptual Literature

The Structure

A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles without closing the way

underneath such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing

passage over the obstacle. There are many different designs that each serve a

particular purpose and apply to different situations. Designs of bridges vary depending

on the function of the bridge, the nature of the terrain where the bridge is constructed

and anchored, the material used to make it, and the funds available to build it.

The prototypical bridge is quite simple—two supports holding up a beam—yet the

engineering problems that must be overcome even in this simple form are inherent in

every bridge: the supports must be strong enough to hold the structure up, and the span

between supports must be strong enough to carry the loads. Every bridge engineer

should have a clear knowledge of the various terminologies used during the Bridge

design process. During the design process, every bridge can be divided broadly into two

parts namely: Superstructure, Substructure

Superstructure: Superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure

above a baseline. It is the part of the structure which supports traffic and includes deck,

slab, and girders. All the parts of the bridge which are mounted on a supporting system

can be classified as a Super structure.

 Substructure: Substructure is the part of the structure, i.e. piers and abutments,

which supports the superstructure and which transfers the structural load to the

foundations.

Bridge Type

Concrete Bridge: Concrete Bridge is a structure made from concrete and built for

the purpose of covering a certain distance. Typically, concrete bridges allow vehicles or

people to cross over physical obstructions, such as lakes, rivers, valleys, or roads.

Concrete is one of the most common types of materials used in modern-day bridge

construction.

Steel bridge: Steel Bridge is an essential feature of a country’s infrastructure and

landscape. Few man-made structures combine the technical with the aesthetics in such

an evocative way. Steel is widely used around the world for the construction of bridges

from the very large to the very small. It is a versatile and effective material that provides

efficient and sustainable solutions. It dominates the markets for long span bridges,

railway bridges, footbridges, and medium span highway bridges. Landmark steel

bridges embody good design; they are fast to build and have stimulated the

regeneration of many former industrial, dock and canal side areas.

Timber bridge: Timber bridge or wooden bridge is a bridge that uses timber or

wood as its principal structural material. One of the first forms of bridge, those of

timber has been used since ancient times.

 Bailey bridge: Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge. It

was developed by the British during World War II for military use and saw extensive use

by British, Canadian and the American military engineering units. Bailey bridge is a

through-type truss bridge, the roadway being carried between two main girders. The

trusses in each girder are formed by 10-foot panels pinned end to end. In this respect,

the Bailey bridge is often referred to as the “panel” or “truss” bridge.

Bridge Elements

Abutment: Abutments is a structure built to support the lateral pressure of an

arch or span, e.g., at the ends of a bridge. It refers to the substructure at the ends of a

bridge span or dam whereon the structure's superstructure rests or contacts. Single-

span bridges have abutments at each end which provide vertical and lateral support for

the bridge, as well as acting as retaining walls to resist lateral movement of the

earthen fill of the bridge approach.

Beam or Girder: A part of superstructure structure which is under bending along

the span. It is the load bearing member which supports the deck.

Bearing: It transfers loads from the girders to the pier caps. Bearing is a

component which supports part of the bridge and which transmits forces from that part

to another part of the structure whilst permitting angular and/or linear movement

between parts.

Backwalls: The vertical walls at the ends of most bridges that extend up from the

abutment seats and support the expansion joint. Backwalls are small retaining walls
which also support the approach slabs and hold back the embankment under the

approach slabs. On bridges with conventional expansion joints, the backwalls also

provide the necessary clearance between the ends of the beams and the face of the

backwall to allow the bridge to expand and contract.

Deck: It is the bridge floor which directly carries the traffic loads. Deck transfers

load to the Girders depending on the decking material.

Footing and Piles (Foundation): Foundation is the component which transfers

loads from the substructure to the bearing strata The element of an architectural

structure which connects it to the ground and transfers loads from the structure to the

ground. Foundations are generally considered either shallow or deep.

Pier: A vertical intermediate supporting structure, such as the pillar, between

abutments and is appropriately located to minimize the constriction of traffic or

waterflow underneath the bridge. Pier is a part of the substructure which supports the

superstructure at the end of the span. It transfers loads on the superstructure to the

foundations. Depending upon aesthetics, site, space and economic constraints various

shapes of piers are adapted to suit the requirement. Mostly Reinforced Concrete or Pre-

stressed concrete are adapted for the construction of piers. Piers are compression

members but depending on the loading and bearing articulations, piers may be

subjected to bending as well.

Pier Cap or Headstock: A component which transfers loads from the

superstructure to the piers. Pier cap provides sufficient seating for the Bridge girders

and disperse the loads from the bearings to the Piers.

 Pile cap and Piles: Pile foundation is the most commonly used foundation

system for bridges. Pile is a slender compression member driven into or formed in the

ground to resist loads. A reinforced concrete mass cast around the head of a group of

piles to ensure they act together and distribute the load among them it is known as pile

cap.

Span: The distance between two bridge supports, whether they are columns,

towers or the wall of a canyon.

Wingwallare: Adjacent to the abutments and act as retaining walls. They are

generally constructed of the same material as those of abutments. The wing walls can

either be attached to the abutment or be independent of it.

Bridge Inventory Data

Bridge Inventory data is a standardized series of data items that enables the

geometry, construction and function of a bridge to be identified and described.

Generally, the bridge inventory data consist of the location and graphical data,

the general data, clearances, geometry, traffic direction, type of bridge, year of

construction, public utilities carried by the bridge, the type of terrain crossed by the

bridge, type of construction, substructure type, deck material, bearing surface, drainage,

design load and other available data. (Bughao, et al., (2009))

Bridge Damages

Abnormal Noise: Noise events due to vehicles passing over bridge expansion

joints occur when vehicle tires strike the rectangular face of the expansion joint units
and traverse the discontinuous surface profile. It can also be induced by the

unevenness of the surface of the expansion joint itself and of the road surface before

and after the joint.

Buckles and Kinks: These conditions develop mostly because of damage arising

from accidents, thermal strain, overload, or added loaded conditions. The kinks are

caused by the failure or yielding of adjacent members or components.

Corrosion: Corrosion of reinforcing steel and other embedded metals is the

leading cause of deterioration in concrete. When steel corrodes, the resulting rust

occupies a greater volume than the steel. This expansion creates tensile stresses in

the concrete, which can eventually cause cracking, delamination, and spalling.

Cracking: Cracks in concrete occur when a restraint mass of concrete tends to

change volume. Volume change in concrete depends on the properties of its

constituents and their proportions as well as environmental conditions such as ambient

temperature changes and humidity. Construction techniques also contribute to volume

change and/or to a degree of restraint of concrete mass.

Delamination: Delamination of concrete bridge decks is a commonly observed

distress in corrosive environments. In traditional acoustic inspection methods,

delamination is assessed by the “hollowness” of the sound created by impacting the

bridge deck with a hammer or bar or by dragging a chain. The signals from such

sounding methods are often contaminated by ambient traffic noise and delamination

detection is highly subjective.

 Fretting: Fretting refers to corrosion damage at the asperities of contact surfaces.

This damage is induced under load and in the presence of repeated relative surface

motion, as induced for example by vibration.

Honeycomb: Honey combs can be simply be defined as a rough, pitted surface

or voids in concrete resulting from incomplete filling of the concrete against

the formwork, often caused by using concrete that is too stiff or by not vibrating

it sufficiently after it has been poured. Normally honeycombs were observed in

structural elements like columns lift walls and a few beams as well.

Loose connections: Cracked or displaced paint around joints and connections

may indicate loose or slipped joints.

Paint peel off: A loss of adhesion a paint coating from concrete flooring resulting

in flaking and peeling of the paint coating.

Scaling: Scaling is a very common surface defect often associated with, but not

limited to concrete slabs exposed to weathering and deicing salts. It is characterized by

peeling or pitting of the concrete surface.

Spalling: Spalling is a physical process of the breakdown of surface layers of

masonry (typically concrete) which crumble into small pebble-like pieces in response to

high temperatures and/or mechanical pressure. The physical appearance of spalling

may also include striated lines, discoloration of the masonry and pitting or rough texture
to the concrete that remains attached to the slab. Spalling is caused by heating,

mechanical pressure, or both. This heat and/or pressure cause uneven expansion of

the materials that make up the concrete (such as sand and gravel), the reinforcing steel

and the concrete mix, or the surface and subsurface layers of the concrete.

Alternatively, the heat may release the water in the concrete. Pressure created by rapid

changes in temperature, such as an application of cold water to the heated concrete

surface during firefighting operations, can also cause spalling. These processes break

the bond that holds the solids together and thus cause the concrete to crumble.

Scouring: Scouring can be defined as a process due to which the particles of the

soil or rock around the periphery of the abutment or pier of the highway bridge

spanning over a water body, gets eroded and removed over a certain depth called

scour depth. Scouring usually occurs when the velocity of the flowing water increases

or crosses the limiting value that the soil particles can easily handle

Bridge Management System

The Bridge Management System (BMS) is a comprehensive procedure/system to

support the needs analysis, multi-year programming and annual budgeting for the

preservation of the national bridge stock. It contains a sustainable bridge

inspection program introducing a standard method and procedures to conduct bridge

inventory and condition surveys.

 BMS is a tool to manage national bridges, monitor the bridge condition

state, establish the needs-based multi-year bridge work program and maintain the

national bridges in a sustainable manner. As an analysis tool, it contains an analysis

structure to determine the bridge needs ratio (BNR) based on the actual condition state

of the bridges. To assure accurate data, inventory and condition surveys will be done

only by the Accredited Bridge Inspectors. The output of BMS is a prioritized list of

bridges ranked on the basis of BNR. This would be exported to MYPS for finalization of

the multi-year bridge preservation and development program.

According to the website of DPWH, the Bridge Management System was

established in the year 2005. In this system, an accredited bridge inspector collects data

based on bridge inventory and condition surveys. From 2005 to 2008, the BMS is still

undergoing improvements; hence the BIs started conducting surveys in the year 2009.

The transmission of data about the bridge condition started in 2010 and was completed

in the year 2011.

Related Studies

The study of Clerigo, Abegail M. et.al (2012) entitled “Evaluation of the

Engineering Design, Rehabilitation and Maintenance of Calumpang Bridge in Batangas

City” investigates the present condition of Calumpang Bridge that is indicative of failure

and posing a danger for a period of time. The specific objectives of the study are to

present the profile of Calumpang Bridge, to evaluate the present conditions of

Calumpang Bridge, to present the existing rehabilitation and maintenance of

Calumpang Bridge and to suggest a recommended plan of action for the improvement
of Calumpang Bridge. The study recommends that traffic signs and road markings are

needed; load and speed limits should be posted as easily seen by the travelling public

to avoid the overloading and over speeding and there should be a strict implementation

of the load and the speed limit of the bridge.

The project study of Latayan, et al (2015) was to evaluate the implementation of

road and bridge construction projects of DPWH Batangas II Engineering District. As

assessed by the researchers, the overall percentage compliance of road and bridge

construction projects of DPWH Batangas II Engineering District was 80.13 percent.

These projects partially complied with the standards in terms of workmanship and

materials with 78.49 and 81.85 percentage of compliance respectively.

The study “Evaluation of Scour Protection Structures on selected bridges along

Palico-Balayan-Batangas City Road” by Abrigonda, Richard I. et al (2012) aims to

identify the current condition of the selected bridges which are indicative of potential

failure and collapse, and to provide the concerned agency with feedback regarding the

present status or condition of the bridges to consider the necessity and urgency of

retrofitting or a rehabilitation program based on the findings and recommendations at

the end of the study.

The project study of Bughao, et al (2009) was on “Structural stability of selected

bridges in Batangas Province Second District.” The said study focused on the

investigation of the structural stability of the bridges indicative of potential failure and

collapse. Based on the results of bridge inspection and condition rating, design check

load and rating analysis, the researchers said conclusively that Lagnas Bridge was
structurally deficient bridge. Deterioration of bridge elements especially at the concrete

desk slab and other structural damages considerable quantities resulted in bad

condition and a load limit of 6 tons. The estimated life of the bridge is 0 to 10 years.

Synthesis

The study of Clerigo, Abegail A. et. al. (2012) is the same with the present study

because both studies assessed the structural safety of the bridge. They both used the

bridge inspection manual of the Department of Public Works and Highway in conducting

bridge inspection.

The study of Abrigonda, Richard I. et. al (2012) is different from the present study

in terms of locality of the selected bridges included in the research. Also, it focuses on

the scour protection structures on selected bridges along the Palico-Balayan-Batangas

City Road while the current study focuses on the bridge condition and performance

assessment. The studies are similar in a manner that both researchers conducted

evaluation regarding bridge condition.

The study “Assessment of the Compliance of Roads and Bridges Belonging to

the Second District of Batangas Province” performed by Latayan, Karen Anne C. et. al

(2015) contributed to the present study for providing recommendations and possible

solutions to minimize road and bridge failures.

The present study is similar to the study “Structural Stability Analysis of Selected

Bridges in Batangas Province Second District” by Bughao, Anabelle M. et al. (2009)

because one of its subjects is the Lagnas Bridge which is a part of the present study.

The method used by both researchers is descriptive method in acquiring the necessary
data and information that supports their study. In addition to this, both study focused on

the investigation of structural damages and current condition of the bridge.