Accidents on bridge structures due to piers damaged or failing

The article is devoted to accidents on bridge structures due to piers damaged or failing. Cases of emergencies on transport structures due to errors in pier design on permafrost soil, poor maintenance of reinforced concrete crossing over the railway at Pushkino station, and the act of terrorist intervention on the bridge in Melitopol, washout of piers during floods and berthing impact on a pier in Oklahoma are considered. A review of a number of publications both foreign and domestic on the subject of bridge structures accidents given. The authors focus on the analysis of the accidents cause on road bridges and propose measures for their prevention and risk minimisation. The main causes of such accidents are assessed, prevention methods and regular piers maintenance are considered, and the consequences are analysed, both in terms of safety and in the economic context. In the conclusion of the article, the authors suggest measures to be taken to prevent accidents on transport structures due to piers damaged or failing and report on the consequences that may occur in case of accidents on an engineering structure.