In connection with the title above, we quote the following statement: “We are targeting a period of durability of 40 years for the Siak III Bridge, but if possible more than that, the Siak III Bridge will certainly be better. But it depends on how we take care of this Siak III Bridge so that it is more beneficial to the community, ”said the Head of the Riau Provincial Public Works Office, SF Hariyanto, to Metro Riau, Monday (28/11) at the Riau Governor’s Office. This means that later there will be proper maintenance of the Siak III bridge, what about the Siak I bridge? It’s a shame, because we haven’t heard what action will be taken for the Siak I bridge, which he said was dying some time ago.
The Kutai Kartanegara Bridge, which is said to be Indonesia’s Golden Gate, collapsed in a short life, only 10 years. Meanwhile, the Golden Gate itself is still in its old age (74 years). Is it because of the influence of the correct treatment method?
Why is the maintenance of a bridge necessary? In general, all civil structures (buildings, bridges, water structures, water ports) are designed to suit the function / purpose by taking into account the requirements for strength, stiffness, stability, ductility and resistance to environmental conditions. However, after the building was built, there was damage which resulted in no longer fulfilling these requirements. Damage can occur since the beginning of the building’s operation due to poor planning, planning and supervision, as well as after the building has been operational due to, among others, physical, chemical attacks, overloading, lowering of foundations, earthquakes, fires, fatigue, aircraft crashes etc. Directly or indirectly, the breakdown will cause strength degradation which affects the overall performance of the structure. If the building is not immediately repaired or retrofitted, the damage can continue even further. In order for buildings that have been damaged to continue to function, rehabilitation measures are required, which can be in the form of repair (retrofit) or strengthening (strengthening).
Before implementing rehabilitation measures for existing buildings, it is necessary to investigate investigations and evaluate damage to the main and supporting structures to determine the feasibility of the building. From the results of the investigation and evaluation, it can be determined that the most optimal method of repair or strengthening. Those that have included several studies include funding / costs, implementation duration, availability of materials, tools, personnel, etc. This kind of investigation is often called Forensic Engineering.