Abstract
This paper presents a method for evaluating the reliability of an in-service highway bridge that considers the resistance capacity loss due to various corrosive environments. To demonstrate the application of the suggested method, a pre-stressed concrete-I (PSC-I) type girder was selected as a sample bridge. An analytical procedure was developed to quantitatively evaluate the performance degradation of a PSC-I girder bridge considering the traffic conditions, corrosive environment, and crack damage. The bridge performance was evaluated by considering traffic conditions, including the annual average daily traffic volume, heavy vehicle volume, and corrosive environment (mild, normal, and severe). To calculate the resistance capacity, all variables regarding the materials and sections were considered through probabilistic variances, Monte Carlo simulation, and the statistical characteristics of the resistance. The results showed that the performance degradation is sensitive to the important parameters of the traffic conditions and corrosive environment, which may decrease the structural reliability and lead to bridge failure. Cracks in a PSC-I girder may accelerate the performance degradation and affect the reliability level of the bridge. Therefore, a maintenance plan should be rationally considered depending on the site environment.
Highlights
A bridge deteriorates because of the applied loads and surrounding environment during its service life
This paper presents a performance degradation and reliability evaluation method based on history of actual bridges, reflecting various site conditions
The reliability degradation during the life cycle of a sample bridge was analyzed based on the resistance capacity degradation where the flexural strength decreased because of structural deterioration during the service life, as calculated in Section 4.1, and because of the live load resulting from various traffic conditions, as determined in Section 3.1 describing the reliability analysis
Summary
A bridge deteriorates because of the applied loads and surrounding environment during its service life. Studies not consider the site conditions the traffic characteristics the actual bridge. Frangopol and Neves [5] analyzed function and developed a performance level reliability index model. Thebecause were limited in scope, these depending approachesonare of the maintenance standards Because these studies were limited in scope, these approaches limited in their ability to evaluate performance degradation reflecting the corrosive environment and are limited in their ability to evaluate performance degradation reflecting the corrosive traffic characteristics of an actual bridge. This paper presents a performance degradation and reliability evaluation method based on history of actual bridges, reflecting various site conditions (e.g., corrosive environment, traffic the history of actual bridges, reflecting various site conditions (e.g., corrosive environment, traffic characteristics), which has not been considered in previous studies.
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