Reliability analysis of a reinforced concrete bridge under moving loads

Abstract

This study presents a reliability analysis procedure for a reinforced concrete bridge exposed to different moving loads. Bridges are one of the important part of transportation infrastructure systems. As bridges age, structural weakening due to heavy traffic and aggressive environmental factors lead to an increase in repair frequency and decrease in load carrying capacity. Therefore, bridges require periodic maintenance and repair in order to function and be reliable throughout their lifetimes. In other words, condition and safety of the bridges must be monitored at regular time intervals to avoid the disadvantages of deterioration. Otherwise, sudden collapse of a bridge may lead to irreversible loss of life and property. Therefore, the importance of the structural assessment of bridges is rapidly increasing in developed countries. In this study, reliability analysis which is one of the structural performance prediction method is applied to a reinforced concrete bridge subjected to the different moving loads. The aim of this study is to observe the safety of the bridge for the effect of the increasing traffic factor over the years.