The major expansion of transport networks in the twentieth century has been accompanied by extensive bridge construction. At the end of the century, the field of bridge engineering continues to grow and develop. Recent years have seen the construction of revolutionary new bridges, advances in materials and construction techniques and the development of international codes and standards aimed at producing more durable and reliable structures.

The Institution of Civil Engineers has organised a series of conferences to celebrate, at the start of the New Millennium, the enormous achievements made in the field of bridge engineering in recent years. This volume of papers from the second of these conferences, held in Hong Kong, encompasses the state-of-the-art in bridge design, construction, maintenance and safety assessment. It includes papers on major bridge schemes, both completed and under construction, and on innovative approaches used in various parts of the world. It also looks at local and regional projects and bridge related issues. The wealth of information contained in this publication will be of interest to bridge consultants and contractors, practising engineers, researchers and bridge owners, both local and international.

This is a state-of-the-art reference, an exchange of innovative experience, creative thinking and industry forecasts. This volume presents the proceedings of the fourth international conference in this series based in the Asia Pacific region, in Kuala Lumpur in October 2005 and is applicable to all sectors of the bridge engineering community. BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND FUTURE PERFORMANCE The Institution of Civil Engineers has collaborated with internationally renowned bridge engineers to organise three successful conferences to celebrate the enormous achievements made in the field of bridge engineering in recent years. As a discipline, bridge engineering not only requires knowledge and experience of bridge design and construction techniques but must also deal with increasing challenges posed by the need to maintain the long-term performance of structures throughout an extended service life. In many parts of the world natural phenomena such as seismic events can cause significant damage to force major repairs or reconstruction. Therefore, it is appropriate that the first plenary session of this conference is entitled Engineering for Seismic Performance. READERSHIP This compilation of papers will benefit practising civil and structural engineers in consulting firms and government agencies, bridge contractors, research institutes, universities and colleges. In short, it is of importance to all engineers involved in any aspect of the design, construction and repair, maintenance and refurbishment of bridges.

These proceedings are from The Fourth International Conference on Bridge Management that consolidated the best and, more importantly, up-to-date research conducted in the field of bridge management. Since the first conference in 1990 the scientific art of bridge management has advanced at an astonishing rate. There has been a change from a curative to a preventative approach to bridge management, promising an increased longevity for the next generation of bridges and reduced whole-life costs, and practical and economical solutions have been found for some recurring problems.

Advances in bridge maintenance, safety, management and life-cycle performance contains the papers presented at IABMAS'06, the Third International Conference of the International Association for Bridge Maintenance and Safety (IABMAS), held in Porto, Portugal from 16 to 19 July, 2006.All major aspects of bridge maintenance, management, safety, and co