Bridge Failures in Nepal: Systematic Review and Quantitative Characterization of Causal Mechanisms

Authors

  • Ravin K.C. Department of Civil Engineering, Thapathali Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
  • Alok Dahal Department of Civil Engineering, Thapathali Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
  • Rupshikha Bade Department of Civil Engineering, Thapathali Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
  • Rajiv Khatiwada Department of Civil Engineering, Thapathali Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
  • Pratyush Jha Department of Civil Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Lalitpur 44700, Nepal
  • Shesh Raj Kafle Department of Civil Engineering, Lalitpur Engineering College, Tribhuvan University, Lalitpur 44700, Nepal
  • Aabiskar Marasini Department of Civil Engineering, Lalitpur Engineering College, Tribhuvan University, Lalitpur 44700, Nepal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3126/injet-indev.v2i2.95729

Keywords:

Bridge failure, Hydraulic and Scour Effects, Nepal Infrastructure, Structure Reliability, Construction Deficiencies

Abstract

This comprehensive systematic review of 56 reported incidents synthesizes quantitative analysis of motorable bridge failures in Nepal over the past two decades. The study gathers failure data from news archives, academic literature, and grey reports, sorting causes into hydraulic/hydrological events, construction errors, design and structural flaws, overloading, and other miscellaneous factors. The findings reveal that hydraulic failures, which are primarily linked to floods and scour, dominated by 39.29% of cases, followed by construction failures at 28.57%. The remaining causes comprise design flaws, overloading, and external events. The results underscore the structural flaw in engineering and construction methods, and the serious difficulties posed by Nepal’s dynamic river systems, monsoonal intensity, and seismicity. In order to enhance the resilience of Nepal’s vital transportation infrastructure, this review suggests upgrading hydrological design standards, improving quality assurance in construction, enhancing design review, and establishing a national bridge management system.

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Published

2026-06-12

How to Cite

K.C., R., Dahal, A., Bade, R., Khatiwada, R., Jha, P., Kafle, S. R., & Marasini, A. (2026). Bridge Failures in Nepal: Systematic Review and Quantitative Characterization of Causal Mechanisms. International Journal on Engineering Technology and Infrastructure Development, 2(2), 226–237. https://doi.org/10.3126/injet-indev.v2i2.95729

Issue

Vol. 2 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal on Engineering Technology and Infrastructure Development

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