An investigation into reliability based methods to include risk of failure in life cycle cost analysis of reinforced concrete bridge rehabilitation

Reliability based life cycle cost analysis is becoming an important consideration for decision-making in relation to bridge design, maintenance and rehabilitation. An optimal solution should ensure reliability during service life while minimizing the life cycle cost. Risk of failure is an important component in whole of life cycle cost for both new and existing structures. The research work presented here aimed to develop a methodology for evaluation of the risk of failure of reinforced concrete bridges to assist in decision making on rehabilitation. Methodology proposed here combines fault tree analysis and probabilistic time-dependent reliability analysis to achieve qualitative and quantitative assessment of the risk of failure. Various uncertainties are considered including the degradation of resistance due to initiation of a particular distress mechanism, increasing load effects, changes in resistance as a result of rehabilitation, environmental variables, material properties and model errors. It was shown that the proposed methodology has the ability to provide users two alternative approaches for qualitative or quantitative assessment of the risk of failure depending on availability of detailed data. This work will assist the managers of bridge infrastructures in making decisions in relation to optimization of rehabilitation options for aging bridges. (a)

• Corporate Authors:

  RMIT UNIVERSITY. SCHOOL OF CIVIL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

  GPO BOX 2476V
  MELBOURNE,   Australia  3001
• Authors:
  • Zhu, W D
• Publication Date: 2008-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 147P

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Concrete; Costs; Failure; Life cycle analysis; Maintenance; Management
• ITRD Terms: 155: Administration; 3455: Bridge; 4755: Concrete; 224: Cost; 5520: Failure; 5950: Life cycle; 3847: Maintenance
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Bridges and other structures; Maintenance and Preservation; I10: Economics and Administration; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I60: Maintenance;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01125017
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: TRL
• Files: ITRD, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 30 2009 6:20AM