During the Korean War, 45%(481 km) of Korea’s paved roads and 63%(1,139 bridges, totaling 32.5 km) of its bridges were destroyed, causing severe damage to the national infrastructure. Since the Five-Year Economic Development Plans were implemented i...
During the Korean War, 45%(481 km) of Korea’s paved roads and 63%(1,139 bridges, totaling 32.5 km) of its bridges were destroyed, causing severe damage to the national infrastructure. Since the Five-Year Economic Development Plans were implemented in seven phases between 1962 and 1996, the national road network was rapidly expanded, with 55,173 km of roads and 5,828 bridges(total length: 636 km) were newly constructed.
However, the Seongsu Bridge, which was completed in 1979, collapsed in October 1994 due to poor construction and inadequate maintenance. Accordingly, the Special Act on Safety and Maintenance of Facilities was enacted in January 1995, mandating regular inspections of publicly used structures, such as bridges, tunnels, and buildings.
As of December 2023, Korea manages 39,457 bridges(total length: 4,026 km) with an average service life of 19.3 years. By 2034, the number of bridges with a service life exceeding 30 years is expected to increase rapidly from 5,900(15.1%) to 19,600(49.9%), intensifying concerns over structural aging and deterioration of key materials.
Despite these increasing risks, most safety assessment companies are small and still rely on manual methods to conduct investigations, inspections, and diagnoses. Advanced diagnostic technologies enabled by the Fourth Industrial Revolution are not yet widely adopted. Therefore, this study examines ways to enhance bridge safety and extend the service life of bridges by exploring future-oriented bridge construction approaches that apply effective safety inspection practices, maintenance strategies, and new technologies to accurately investigate, measure, evaluate, and diagnose facility defects.
In particular, additional long-term monitoring was performed on a monolithic abutment bridge constructed without expansion joints—these joints are among the most frequently repaired components and are known to damage adjacent materials in conventional bridges. By comparing measured values with design specifications and assessing performance under various environmental and load conditions, this study highlights the necessity of introducing a post-evaluation system and management measures for bridges that employ new technologies.