Calendar

FIEC will once again be involved in EUROBRIDGE - a conference on bridge maintenance and safety in Europe. Titled "HOW TO ENSURE TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE SAFETY", the next edition will take place on 11 April 2025 in Brussels.

Visit the Eurobridge conference official Website at this link.

Registration is open: you can email to Andine Canton (cantona@fntp.fr).

For any questions or further details, she can be reached by phone at +33 750 634 120

Click here to download the most updated version of the conference programme.

A Word by Christian Tridon, Chairman of the FIEC Structural Maintenance Group

"The 4th edition of Eurobridge - the 'colloquium' on the safety and maintenance of bridges - will take place on 11 April in Brussels. You will find the event detailed information and the full programme (in English and French) on our dedicated site Homepage - Eurobridge. This symposium should become a showcase for the exchange of experience on maintenance techniques and management models among the different countries.

The deterioration of civil engineering structures is set to accelerate. Our bridges heritage is burdensome. We have some 1 million structures in Europe, with a net value of 2,000 billion euros (the annual maintenance budget should be around 30 billion). Most of these structures were built after the 1950s. Since they have not always been properly maintained, their level of deterioration is worrying. We know the causes of this deterioration, and we have the know-how to manage its consequences.

However, the political will and the budget availability are not there. Our countries are now faced with a choice: if we can no longer afford to maintain these structures, then the safest solution seems to be their closure. We cross a bridge because we think it is well maintained. I am afraid that if maintenance work is not carried out quickly, this will no longer be the case".