How to Conduct Regular Inspection and Maintenance of Bridge Bearings?

Regular inspection and maintenance of bridge bearings are crucial for ensuring the safety and stability of bridges. Next, let’s focus on the theme of "How to conduct regular inspection and maintenance of bridge bearings"!

I. Regular Inspection

1. Inspection Cycle

According to the Technical Specification for Maintenance and Replacement of Highway Bridge Bearings and Expansion Devices, when bearings are located under the bridge, the maintenance and inspection cycle should be once every 3–6 months. In addition, daily patrols can be conducted once a month to check whether the appearance and displacement of the bearings are normal.

2. Inspection Content

2.1 Appearance Inspection

Check whether the rubber protective layer of the bearing has cracks, aging, or other phenomena, and record the position, width, and length of the cracks; inspect whether the rubber bulge between the reinforced steel plates of the bearing is uniform and normal; check whether the upper and lower connecting steel plates of the bearing are intact, and if there is rust, deformation, or other conditions; check whether the bolts are loose or rusted.

2.2 Displacement and Deformation Inspection

Measure the displacement and rotation angle of the bearing, compare them with the design values to determine whether they exceed the limits; check whether the bearing has slippage, voids, or uneven pressure-bearing phenomena; and check whether the shear displacement is excessive or the compression deformation exceeds the limit.

2.3 Component Inspection

Regularly inspect the deformation and wear of the roller; ensure that the upper and lower anchor bolts are free from shearing, bending, or breaking; for bearings equipped with dust covers, check whether the dust covers are intact and free from damage or blockage.

II. Maintenance Work

1. Cleaning

Carry out bearing cleaning work once a year: remove garbage, debris, and accumulated water around the bearings; clear snow and ice in winter; prevent the rubber from coming into contact with corrosive substances; and avoid the normal operation of the bearings being affected by the accumulation of debris.

2. Lubrication

Regularly clean the dust on the sliding plates and stainless steel plates of movable bearings, and add lubricating grease such as silicone oil to ensure the normal sliding of the bearing sliding surfaces and reduce wear.

3. Protection

When the width of the outward-bulging circumferential cracks and aging cracks on plate-type rubber bearings is ≤ 1 mm, adopt new technology of external protective agents for external protection and crack sealing; for the steel components of pot-type bearings and spherical bearings, perform derusting and anti-corrosion paint coating once every 2 years; for bearings equipped with dust covers, maintain the dust covers regularly to ensure they are intact and effective.

4. Drainage Maintenance

Check the function of the leveling wedge blocks at the bottom of the beam and whether the drainage around the bearing pad stones is in good condition; prevent the bearings from being in a water-accumulated environment for a long time due to poor drainage, which may affect the performance of the bearings.