Guideline for the assessment of existing structures

The use of design codes for the assessment of existing structures is at present common engineering practice in Germany. But since safety measures of design codes were developed to maintain a reliability level for a wide range of bridge types and configurations under the maximum expected live load over a certain period (in Germany this is 50 years), in most cases they are over-conservative for existing bridges. With this background it is considered to be essential to have a guideline which leads the practicing engineer through the process of structural assessment. Doing so on one hand it is supposed to describe and specify strategies and procedures for achieving an optimum balance between cost and safety or cost and serviceability and on the other hand regularise limits if necessary. Within the SAMCO (Structural Assessment, Monitoring and Control) network such described code of practice is going to be developed. The different levels of complexity of assessment procedures are considered. This will be undertaken for each of the three main parts of assessment: data acquisition, structural analysis and verification of safety/serviceability. In addition a paragraph concentrates on special cases of assessment. This paper is supposed to introduce especially practicing engineers to a guideline for structural assessment based on ISO 13822. For the covering abstract see ITRD E126028.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0727733540
• Authors:
  • PARKE, G A
  • DISNEY, P (
  • HILLE, F
  • ROHRMANN, R
  • RUCKER, W
• Publication Date: 2005

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 227-34
• Serial:
  • BRIDGE MANAGEMENT 5: INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, ASSESSMENT AND REPAIR. PROCEEDINGS OF THE 5TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BRIDGE MANAGEMENT, ORGANIZED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF SURREY, 11-13 APRIL 2005
  • Publisher: Thomas Telford Limited

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Condition surveys; Conferences; Continuous structures; Design; Risk assessment; Safety; Surveillance
• Geographic Terms: Germany
• ITRD Terms: 3455: Bridge; 3857: Condition survey; 8525: Conference; 9006: Continuous; 9011: Design (overall design); 8125: Germany; 9129: Risk assessment; 1665: Safety; 9101: Surveillance
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Safety and Human Factors; I20: Design and Planning of Transport Infrastructure; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I25: Design of Tunnels;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01012506
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport Research Laboratory
• ISBN: 0-7277-3354-0
• Files: ITRD
• Created Date: Dec 20 2005 3:33PM