Sustainability in bridge maintenance: a state-of-the-art review, classification framework, and future research roadmap

Abstract

Operating bridges involves significant economic, social, and environmental impacts. Therefore, ensuring the sustainable maintenance of these vital structures throughout their life cycle must be carefully examined. This paper provides an analytical review of 51 manuscripts on sustainable bridge maintenance published in Scopus and Web of Science from 2000 to 2025. The search inquiry covers at least 4 of the 7 key sustainability themes. The novelty of this paper lies in developing an original classification system to evaluate targeted manuscripts: Case Studies and/or Comparative Assessment and Analyses (CS), Framework and Methodology Development (FM), Theoretical Models and General Practices (TM), Review (R). Using this system, the paper identifies targeted, in-depth gaps in sustainable bridge maintenance and provides a roadmap of future research. The results reveal a discrepancy between theoretical development and the practical implementation of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in real-world bridges, as well as an imbalance in material and technological coverage, with concrete bridges receiving more attention. Moreover, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) in sustainable bridge maintenance remains far less investigated than in sustainable bridge design. The developed roadmap is a valuable resource that underscores the urgency of implementing LCA in steel–concrete bridges and of initiating element-oriented sustainability analysis in the short term.