Bridges

It is important that the design work of bridges is disciplined and as coordinated as possible, irrespective of who handles the work and whether it is carried out within or outside of IRCA. This needs to be ensured to the extent possible and in the most efficient way.

IRCA monitors the bearing capacity of roads and bridges. The institution makes decisions regarding limitations of the total weight and axle weight of vehicles, as need be.

The role of IRCA is stipulated in Act No. 120/2012 on the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration, an executive agency for transport. IRCA issues rules regarding the design of bridges, wherein there are project specification for bridge construction. Iceland is a member of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), and has undertaken to implement its standards. European standards on bridge design came into formal effect in Iceland at the end of year 2011, when a country annex was published. More information on the methodology of the implementation can be found in IRCA’s publication: Rules on Bridge Design.

The verification process is a part of reliability management, and is one of its basic principle, cf. ÍST EN 1990.

The process consist of the following steps:

planned construction is placed in verification stage 1-3, depending on complexity and the experience of the designer

if the construction is placed in verification 1, main criteria and drawings may be submitted at the same time

if the construction is placed in verification 2-3, criteria shall always be submitted for approval before the design work commences. The design is then submitted later for approval.

The objective of the verification process is to ensure the documentation of the verification of the design, as well as to guarantee that all design documents are submitted to IRCA. The Rules of Bridge Design include aspects that refer to general project specifications for road and bridge construction. A few chapters are still in progress, such as a chapters on seismic load, suspension and cable-stayed bridges, cables and cable systems, and ferry marinas. One of the benefits of the verification process is that experience and knowledge is easily transferred between coworkers. More people come to know the project and its criteria and are therefore better prepared when it comes to solving any problems that may arise.