Assessment of Existing Structures—Approaches and Research Needs
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 127, Issue 4
Abstract
The possibility of safely extending the life of existing infrastructure is a matter that has become of increasing importance for the work of structural engineers, particularly when seen in the widest context of structural engineering. This paper proposes the view that the profession must be able to provide defendable estimates of the safety of individuals and of the safety and performance of existing structural systems. It will be argued that to do so requires prediction of future structural behavior at a level of detail and accuracy not hitherto required from the profession. Meeting this challenge opens up very extensive basic and applied research needs in structural engineering. These include better understanding and modeling of load processes and their rational combination; better understanding of structural system behavior and the influences of largely unknowable boundary and construction conditions; and much better understanding and modeling of processes such as fatigue, corrosion, deterioration of paint, and other protection systems. Moreover, it is argued that assessment procedures still require fundamentally acceptable and rational decision frameworks able to justify structural adequacy in terms increasingly being demanded by safety and environmental regulators.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Ad Hoc Committee on Serviceability Research. (1986). “Structural serviceability: A critical appraisal and research needs.”J. Struct. Engrg., ASCE, 112(12), 2646–2664.
2.
Ahammed, M., and Melchers, R. E. ( 1996). “Reliability estimation of pressurised pipelines subject to localised corrosion defects.” Int. J. Pressure Vessels and Piping, 69(3), 267–272.
3.
Ansari, F. ( 2000). Condition monitoring of materials and structures, ASCE, Reston, Va.
4.
Bartlett, F. M., and MacGregor, J. G. ( 1996). “Statistical analysis of the compressive strength of concrete in structures.” ACI Mat. J., 93(2), 158–168.
5.
Das, P. C. ( 1998). “Development of a comprehensive structures management methodology for the Highways Agency.” Proc., Conf. Mgmt. of Hwy. Struct., Institution of Civil Engineers, London.
6.
de Neufville, R., and Stafford, J. H. ( 1971). Systems analysis for engineers and managers, McGraw-Hill, New York.
7.
Ditlevsen, O. ( 1982). “The fate of reliability measures as absolutes.” Nuclear Engrg. and Des., 71, 439–440.
8.
Dunker, K. R., and Rabbat, B. G. ( 1993). “Why America's bridges are crumbling.” Sci. Am., March, 66–72.
9.
Ellingwood, R. B. ( 1996). “Reliability-based condition assessment and LRFD for existing structures.” Struct. Safety, 18(2/3), 67–80.
10.
Ellingwood, R. B. ( 1999). “Probability-based structural design: Prospects for acceptable risks bases.” Proc., Int. Conf., Applications of Statistics and Probability, R. E. Melchers and M. G. Stewart, eds., Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 11–18.
11.
Ellingwood, B. R., Galambos, T. V., MacGregor, J. C., and Cornell, C. A. ( 1980). Development of a probability based load criteria for American National Standard A58, NBS Spec. Publ. No. 577, National Bureau of Standards, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
12.
Englund, S., and Faber, M. H. ( 1999). “Development of a code for durability design of concrete structures.” Proc., Int. Conf., Applications of Statistics and Probability, R. E. Melchers and M. G. Stewart, eds., Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 965–972.
13.
Frye, M. J., and Morris, G. A. ( 1975). “Analysis of flexibly connected steel frames.” Can. J. Civ. Engrg., Ottawa, 2, 280–291.
14.
Haberecht, P. W., and Kane, C. D. ( 1999). “Determining the chloride deposition rate, chloride aerosol flux and the corrosion rates in sub-floor building conditions at a severe marine environment.” Proc., Corrosion and Prevention-99, Australasian Corrosion Association, Sydney, Australia.
15.
Heinrichs, P., and Fell, R. ( 1995). Acceptable risks for major infrastructure, Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
16.
Job, R. F. S. ( 1999). “Human capacity of absolute and relative judgements and optimism bias.” Proc., Int. Conf., Applications of Statistics and Probability, R. E. Melchers and M. G. Stewart, eds., Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 19–23.
17.
Krinitzsky, E. L. ( 1993). “Earthquake probability in engineering—Part 1: The use and misuse of expert opinion.” Engrg. Geol., 33, 257–288.
18.
Melchers, R. E. ( 1997). “Modeling of marine corrosion of steel specimens.” Corrosion testing in natural waters, STP 1300, R. M. Kain and W. T. Young, eds., ASTM, West Conshohocken, Pa., 20–33.
19.
Melchers, R. E. ( 1999). Structural reliability analysis and prediction, 2nd Ed., Wiley, Chichester, England.
20.
Melchers, R. E. ( 2000). “Optimization of structural reliability and structural safety.” Proc., Conf. IFIP Working Group 7.5, Ann Arbor (to be published).
21.
Rosenblueth, E. ( 1987). “What should we do with structural reliabilities?” Proc., Int. Conf. Applications of Statistics and Probability (ICASP5), University of Waterloo, Canada, 24–34.
22.
Stewart, M. G. ( 1997). “Reliability-based bridge design and assessment.” Progress in Struct. Engrg. and Mat., 1(2), 214–222.
23.
Stewart, M. G., and Melchers, R. E. ( 1997). Probabilistic risk assessment for engineering systems, Chapman & Hall, London.
24.
Val, V. D., Stewart, M. G., and Melchers, R. E. ( 1998). “Effect of reinforcement corrosion on reliability of highway bridges.” Engrg. Struct., 20(11), 1010–1019.
25.
Vrouwenvelder, A. C. M. ( 1997). “The JCSS probabilistic model code.” Struct. Safety, Amsterdam, 19(3), 245–251.
26.
Wald, F. ( 1995). Column bases, Edicni Stredisko CVUT, Praha: Czeck Republic.
27.
Warner, R. F. ( 1998). “An integrated decision-making approach to the diagnosis and assessment of defective concrete structures.” Proc., 2nd Int. RILEM Conf. on Rehabilitation of Struct., 48–58.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 127 • Issue 4 • April 2001
Pages: 406 - 411
History
Received: Jun 12, 2000
Published online: Apr 1, 2001
Published in print: Apr 2001
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.