Case Study of Pathological Manifestations of Neoprene Support Devices in Infrastructure

Abstract

The so-called works of special arts, are constructions of high complexities that allow the advancement of widening gaps and overcoming obstacles previously unthinkable. With the increase in magnitude of these structures, in addition to greater investments, the maintenance of these structures becomes an increasingly important factor for engineering. Among the elements of bridge structures, the support devices are components with important structural functions, being essential for their proper functioning and especially the durability of the entire structure. This paper aims to evaluate the pathological manifestations in support devices so, according to inspections performed and the diagnosis of causes, define their best practices and treatments for the maintenance and mitigation of the pathologies found. In the practical study the following steps were performed: survey and selection of the structures currently under maintenance of MetrôRio; selection of criteria for the evaluation of pathologies; carrying out inspections; comparative analysis between the viaducts to determine the priority order for negotiations; and definition of conduct. The results obtained were the result of evaluation of the field analysis, diagnosis and comparison with tests performed in support devices. Having as input the tests in the support devices, the best treatments and suggestions to avoid new pathologies were proposed.

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