Turkish historical arch bridges and their deteriorations and failures

Preservation and conservation of historical structures are the major points for the continuity of history. Therefore, in order to develop suitable restoration projects without neglecting any of the unique cultural values, it is very important to determine the present conditions of these structures. In this paper, it is aimed to present architectural and engineering properties of Turkish historical arch bridges. For this purpose, deteriorations in construction materials, damage and failure patterns occurred in the masonry arch bridges are classified and discussed using some illustrated photos. Some restoration practices for the bridges have been carried out by Turkish General Directorate of Highways are briefly discussed.