Some lessons are not learned until after events occur. This was the case with the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge (SFOBB) or Bay Bridge. This bridge, which carries more than 240,000 vehicles per day along Interstate 80, connects the peninsula of San Francisco with the city of Oakland and eastern side of the San Francisco Bay. Initial reports suggested hot-dip galvanizing embrittled the bolts causing a failure. After more research, it was determined the embrittlement was not from the galvanizing but was a much more complex issue. …

In 1967, there was a sudden collapse of the Silver Bridge, a pin-connected link suspension bridge over the Ohio River at Point Pleasant, West Virginia, that resulted in a loss of 46 lives. As a result, a 1968 federal act initiated a national bridge inspection program that recognized the need for periodic and consistent bridge inspections. The first National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) were developed in 1971. …

As the stock of American bridges averages an age of forty three (43) years (Figure 1), it is clearly of great value to understand their remaining service life. When you consider the theoretical design of these bridges was for fifty (50) years, it is inevitable that a high proportion of them will now be deficient. In fact, the number of deficient bridges today is 1 in 9. Within the next ten years this will become 1 in 4. …

Corrosion related damages are the root cause of numerous façade failures on masonry clad steel frame buildings (Figure 1). Corrosion of the underlying steel frame or anchorage can lead to cracking, spalling, displacement, and eventually the loss of entire masonry units or severe section loss of structural components. Corrosion is a quantifiable reaction, whereby initiation, propagation, and deterioration can be projected through comprehensive assessments and durability modelling. …

Concentrically braced frames (CBFs) resist large lateral forces due to wind and earthquake loading, and their ductility is largely derived from tension yielding and compressive buckling of the braces. Since 1990, AISC has focused on improving seismic resistance of CBFs by introducing detailing requirements for the connection, geometric limits of the brace, and capacity-design-type strength requirements for the gusset plate and the framing members. …

Stone is one of the oldest construction materials used by man, as well as the longest lasting building material available. Whether stone structures were built to provide shelters, aid agriculture, or provide a passage over an obstacle such as a river, a valley, etc., they have made a significant contribution in shaping the cultural landscape of countries around the world. In the United States, many examples of stone arch bridges can be found, still accomplishing their original function of bridging streams and rivers. …