Contribution to the Study of Pathologies and the Management of Civil Engineering Structures of the Bafoussam MakeneneSection of the National Road Rn4 in Cameroon

Abstract

In industry, and particularly in the field of Civil Engineering, it has become essential nowadays to assess the condition of Civil Engineering Structures (CES). To effectively estimate and evaluate their state, it is fundamental to analyze the causes of disorders that manifest as pathologies. The objective of this research is to evaluate the condition of civil engineering structures throughout their service life, in order to establish a necessary diagnosis for decision-making and for defining maintenance strategies. First, a condition assessment and an inventory were carried out on the Bafoussam- akenene section of the RN4 national road, aimed at gathering basic information on the structures. Following this inventory campaign, an inspection was also conducted on all the civil engineering structures. Apart from the observed degradations on various deck elements and the lack of monitoring, the surveyed structures were found to be in an “acceptable” state from a structural point of view. Then, using Pareto’s law, statistical analyses were conducted to distinguish the strategic structures for which an enhanced monitoring process must be established. Decision-support tools were also developed, along with a flowchart highlighting the different steps to follow for assessing the condition of a bridge. Finally, the overall operations clearly demonstrated the evaluation of the condition of civil engineering
structures along the itinerary, particularly the Ndé Bridge and the Mlem Bridge, on the Bafoussam–Makenene section of the RN4 national road.