How should the data obtained be processed to make a diagnosis?
Based on all the data collected (lists of damage, including, for each of them, the damage category and the intensity of the defects observed), the calculation of the Damage Severity Level must be undertaken.
The “Severity Level of a damage” detected during an inspection is defined as the combination of the intensity that the inspector has assessed in a defect during the inspection and a category assigned to the damage based on experience.
The level of severity of damage is measured on a four-level scale and is estimated from the category of damage and its intensity:
Each of the damage levels indicates what is indicated in the following table:
Structural monitoring data, if available, can complement the field data collected by visual inspections, and enrich the overall diagnosis of a bridge.
