Seismic Response and Fragility of Deteriorated Reinforced Concrete Bridges
Publication: Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 136, Issue 10
Abstract
One of the greatest challenges in the United States today is overcoming the deterioration of an aging infrastructure system. In particular, the highway/bridge infrastructure system has traditionally been neglected of maintenance and repair. One of the most concerning degrading mechanisms in the bridge infrastructure is corrosion, and it is compounded by the fact that much of the older infrastructure is not consistent with current seismic code requirements. The research presented here determines the effects of corrosion on the seismic response of a typical reinforced concrete bridge designed according to recent standards, predominantly governed by flexural deformations, and based on realistic lifetime deteriorations in strength due to the reduction in cross-sectional area of the reinforcement and in stiffness due to concrete cover spalling. The findings of the research, given the noted modeling assumptions, are that the losses in strength and stiffness only marginally influence the seismic fragility of the selected bridge.
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Acknowledgments
This paper is based on the research performed by the first writer in pursuit of her Master of Science degree within the Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University. Funding for this research was provided through generous fellowships by the Texas A&M University Association of Former Students and the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program. The findings presented are those of the writers and do not represent the views or opinions of any of the affiliated departments or agencies.NSF
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Structural Engineering
Volume 136 • Issue 10 • October 2010
Pages: 1273 - 1281
Copyright
© 2010 ASCE.
History
Received: Jun 1, 2009
Accepted: Mar 10, 2010
Published online: Mar 12, 2010
Published in print: Oct 2010
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