TECHNICAL PAPERS
Oct 15, 2002

Reliability Assessment of Highway Truss Sign Supports

Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 128, Issue 11

Abstract

Structural condition assessment can be made with probabilistic based methods. The structural system is analyzed using a reliability model, based on the different possible failure modes. This paper presents a procedure developed to conduct a systems reliability analysis for highway truss sign supports subject to random wind loading and corrosion. The procedure provides a method for updating the resistance strength as the structure deteriorates. The study has demonstrated that the most effective way to improve the system reliability is to increase the restraint of the connection at the top of the truss where it supports the sign and to increase the column stiffnesses.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

References

Albrecht, P., and Naeemi, A. H. (1984). “Performance of weathering steel in bridges.” Rep. No. 272, National Cooperative Highway Research Program.
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). (1990). Guide specification for safe life assessment of steel bridges, Washington, D.C.
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). (1994a). Load and resistance factor design bridge design specifications, 1st Ed., Washington, D.C.
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). (1994b). Standard specifications for structural supports for highway signs, luminaries, and traffic signals, Washington, D.C.
American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC). (1998). Load and resistance factor design specification for structural steel buildings, 2nd Ed., Chicago.
American National Standard Institute/American Society of Civil Engineers (ANSI/ASCE). (1988). Minimum design loads for buildings and other structures, New York.
Ayyub, B. M., and Ibrahim, A.(1990). “Posttensioned trusses: reliability and redundancy.” J. Struct. Eng., 116(6), 1507–1521.
Cho, H-N., and Ang, A. H-S. (1989). “Reliability assessment and reliability-based rating of existing road bridges.” Structural safety and reliability, Vol. III, ASCE, New York, 2235–2238
DeWolf, J. T., and Yang, J. (2000). “Stability analysis of truss type sign support structures.” Rep. No. JHR 00-280, Dept. of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn.
Ditlevsen, O., and Madsen, H. O. (1996). Structural reliability methods, Wiley, Chichester, U.K.
Ellingwood, B.(1996). “Reliability-based condition assessment and LRFD for existing structures.” Struct. Safety, 8, 67–80.
Estes, A. C. (1997). “A system reliability approach to the lifetime optimization of inspection and repair of highway bridges.” PhD thesis, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
Frangopol, D. M., and Corotis, R. B. (1996). “Reliability-based structural system optimization: state-of-the-art versus state-of-the-practice.” Analysis Computation, ASCE, 67–78.
Hearn, G., Frangopol, D., and Szanyi, T. (1995). Report on management practices in the United States, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
Imai, K. (1999). “Reliability analysis of geometrically nonlinear structures with application to suspension bridges.” PhD thesis, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
Lin, K. Y. (1995). “Reliability-based minimum life cycle cost design of reinforced concrete girder bridges.” PhD thesis, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
Liu, Y., and Moses, F.(1991). “Bridge design with reserve and residual reliability constraints.” Struct. Safety, 11, 29–42.
National Science Foundation (NSF). (1997). “Structural Reliability in Bridge Engineering.” Working Group Rep. of the National Science Foundation Workshop on Structural Reliability in Bridge Engineering, 1996, Boulder, Colo.
Nowak, A. S.(1995). “Calibration of LRFD bridge code.” J. Struct. Eng., 121(8), 1245–1251.
Nowak, A. S., and Hong, Y.-K.(1991). “Bridge live load models.” J. Struct. Eng., 117(9), 2757–2767.
Nowak, A. S., and Thearmabala, T.(1988). “Bridge reliability evaluation using load tests.” J. Struct. Eng., 114(10), 2268–2279.
Nowak, A. S., and Zhou, J.(1995). “System reliability models for bridges.” Struct. Safety, 7, 247–254.
Simiu, E., Changery, M., and Filiben, J. (1979) “Extreme wind speeds at 129 stations in the contiguous United States.” NBS Building Science Series 118, National Bureau of Standards, U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Washington, D.C.
Stewart, M. G.(1999). “Role of load history in reliability-based decision analysis of aging bridges.” J. Struct. Eng., 125(7), 776–783.
Tabsh, S. W., and Nowak, A. S.(1991). “Reliability of highway girder bridges.” J. Struct. Eng., 117(8), 2372–2388.
Thoft-Christensen, P., and Murotsu, Y. (1986). Application of structure systems reliability theory, Springer, Berlin, Germany.
Verma, D., and Moses, F.(1989). “Calibration of bridge-strength evaluation code.” J. Struct. Eng., 115(6), 1538–1554.
Yang, J. (2000). “Stability and reliability-based assessment of highway truss sign support structure.” PhD thesis, Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, Conn.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Journal of Structural Engineering
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 128Issue 11November 2002
Pages: 1429 - 1438

History

Received: Aug 16, 2000
Accepted: Mar 6, 2002
Published online: Oct 15, 2002
Published in print: Nov 2002

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Jun Yang, M.ASCE
Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06268.
John T. DeWolf, F.ASCE
Professor, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06268.

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.

Cited by

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share