Bridge Reliability Evaluation Using Load Tests
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 114, Issue 10
Abstract
The evaluation of existing bridges has received little attention in the structural reliability literature, yet probabilistic methods allow the evaluation of the adequacy of a structure better than deterministic analysis. Bridge test data can be used to improve the accuracy of load and resistance models. In this paper, available safety analysis procedures are reviewed. Bridge evaluation can be also carried out on the basis of tests, and various bridge test types are discussed. A discrepancy is observed between the analytical and test results. Measured member forces are consistently lower than calculated values. This indicates the importance of load sharing and redundancies. The hidden safety reserve‐can be revealed by use of system reliability methods. The reliability model can be significantly improved by use of test data to modify the load and resistance parameters. The approach is demonstrated on an example of a steel truss bridge.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
A guide for field tests of bridges. (1980). Working Committee on Safety of Bridges, ASCE.
2.
Al‐Zaid, R. Z., and Nowak, A. S. (1986). “Fatigue strength of prestressed concrete girder bridges.” Int. Conf. on Short and Medium Span Bridges, 2, Ottawa, Canada. 35–49, Aug.
3.
Bakht, B., and Csagoly, P. F. (1980). “Bridge testing.” Report SRR‐79‐10, Ministry of Transp. and Communications, Downsview, Ontario, Canada, Dec.
4.
Csagoly, P. F. (1979). “Design of thin concrete deck slabs by the Ontario highway bridge design code.” Report SRR‐79‐11, Ministry of Transp. and Communications, Downsview, Ontario, Canada.
5.
Ellingwood, B., etal. (1980). “Development of a probability based load criterion for American national standard A58.” NBS Special Publication 577, Nat. Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C.
6.
Grouni, H. N., and Nowak, A. S. (1984). “Calibration of the Ontario Highway Bridge Design Code 1983 Edition.” Canadian J. of Civ. Engrg., 11(4), 760–770.
7.
Kennedy, D. J. L., and Gad Aly, M. M. A. (1980). “Limit state design of steel structures—Performance factors.” Canadian J. of Civ. Engrg., 7(1), 45–77.
8.
Nowak, A. S., and Zhou, J‐H. (1985). “Reliability models for bridge analysis.” Report UMCE85‐3, Dept. of Civ. Engrg., Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
9.
Ontario Highway Bridge Design Code. (1983). OHBDC, Ministry of Transp. and Communications, Downsview, Ontario, Canada.
10.
Tharmabala, T. (1984). “Structural evaluation and testing of Mattawa River Bridge.” Report SRR‐84‐02, Ministry of Transp. and Communications, Downsview, Ontario, Canada.
11.
Thoft‐Christensen, P., and Baker, M. J. (1982). Structural reliability theory and its applications. Springer‐Verlag, New York, N.Y., 267.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 114 • Issue 10 • October 1988
Pages: 2268 - 2279
Copyright
Copyright © 1988 ASCE.
History
Published online: Oct 1, 1988
Published in print: Oct 1988
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.