1. Origins and consequences

Bridges are subject to a wide range of disorders, of varying degrees of severity, and for a variety of reasons. The following inventory is by no means exhaustive. It merely provides a classification of the most frequently observed disorders, to facilitate the presentation of methods for characterizing and then treating them.

The presence of unusual deformations or cracks is often the tangible manifestation of damage, whether to reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete or metal bridges (fatigue cracks).