• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.3 no.5
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• pp.649-673
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• 2012

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of accounting for aging and deterioration of bridges when estimating their seismic vulnerability. Effects of structural degradation of multiple bridge components, variations in bridge geometry, and comparison of different environmental exposure conditions have traditionally been ignored in the development of seismic fragility curves for aging concrete highway bridges. This study focuses on the degradation of multiple bridge components of a geometrically varying bridge class, as opposed to a single bridge sample, to arrive at time-dependent seismic bridge fragility curves. The effects of different exposure conditions are also explored to assess the impact of severity of the environment on bridge seismic vulnerability. The proposed methodology is demonstrated on a representative class of aging multi-span reinforced concrete girder bridges typical of the Central and Southeastern United States. The results reveal the importance of considering multiple deterioration mechanisms, including the significance of degrading elastomeric bearings along with the corroding reinforced concrete columns, in fragility modeling of aging bridge classes. Additionally, assessment of the relative severity of exposure to marine atmospheric, marine sea-splash and deicing salts, and shows 5%, 9% and 44% reduction, respectively, in the median value bridge fragility for the complete damage state relative to the as-built pristine structure.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.177-184
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• 2021

In recent years, large-scale earthquake activity has occurred in Korea, and thus public interest in earthquakes is increasing. Accordingly, the importance of seismic performance management of structures is emerging. In particular, the collapse of a bridge, one of main road facilities, directly leads to many casualties. Therefore, engineers need to evaluate the seismic fragility of the bridge and prepare for the earthquake event. The service life of these bridges has been over 30 years, which requires a study on the aging effect on bridges. In this study, seismic analysis of the target RC slab bridge was performed considering the aging effects of each component of the bridge. Components of the bridge included pier and bearing, which dominate the seismic response of the bridge. The seismic performance of the bridge was evaluated using nonlinear static and dynamic analyses. In addition, the limit state and dynamic response of each component were used to evaluate the seismic fragility according to the aging of each component.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.34-41
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• 2020

In recent years, magnitude and frequency of earthquakes have increased in Korea. Damage to a bridge, which is one of the main infrastructures, can directly lead to considerable loss of human lives. Therefore, engineers need to evaluate the seismic fragility of the structure and prepare for the possible seismic damage. In particular, the number of aging bridges over 30 years of service increases, and thus the seismic analysis and fragility requires accounting for the aging and retrofit effects on the bridge. In this study, the nonlinear static and dynamic analyses were performed to evaluate the effects of the aging and FRP retrofit on a PSC bridge. The aging and FRP retrofit were applied to piers that dominate the response of the bridge during earthquakes. The maximum displacement of the bridge increased due to the aging of the pier but decreased when FRP retrofit applied to the aged pier. In addition, seismic fragility analysis was performed to evaluate the seismic behavior of the bridge combined with the seismic performance of the pier. Compared with the aged bridge, the FRP retrofit bridge showed a decrease in the seismic fragility in all levels of damage. The reduction of the seismic fragility in the FRP bridge was prominent as the value of PGA and level of damage increased.

• Journal of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute of Korea
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.149-158
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• 2022

As a bridge ages, its mechanical properties and structural performance deteriorate, degrading its seismic performance during a strong earthquake. In this study, the aging of piers and bridge bearings was quantified in several stages and reflected in the analysis model, enabling the evaluation of the member-level seismic fragility of these bearings. Moreover, by assuming that the failure mechanism of a bridge system is a series system, a method for evaluating the system-level seismic fragility based on the member-level seismic fragility analysis result is formulated and proposed. For piers with rubber and lead-rubber bearings (members vulnerable to aging effects), five quantitative degrees of aging (0, 5, 10, 25, and 40%) are assumed to evaluate the member-level seismic fragility. Then, based on the result, the system-level seismic fragility evaluation was implemented. The pier rather than the bridge bearing is observed to have a dominant effect on the system-level seismic fragility. This means that the seismic fragility of more vulnerable structural members has a dominant influence on the seismic fragility of the entire bridge system.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.855-864
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• 2013

The dynamic characteristics of natural rubber bearings, which are used as isolator, are dependent on the main rubber's dynamic behaviors and nonlinear properties. Rubber materials tend to undergo an aging process under the influence of mechanical or environmental factors, so they inevitably end up facing damage. A main cause of aging like this is known to be oxidization, which occurs through the heat of reaction at high temperatures. Accordingly, in this study an accelerated thermal aging test was carried out in order to compare the characteristic values of the bearings before and after thermal aging occurs. As a result of this experiment, it was found that a thermal aging phenomenon could have some effects on shear stiffness, energy absorption, and equivalent damping coefficients of the bearings. Furthermore, a deterioration in the dynamic properties of the natural rubber bearings caused by the thermal aging was applied to an actual bridge and then the effects of such thermal aging on the seismic performance of the bridge were also compared and analyzed based on numerical analysis. As a result of this analysis, it was found that the changes in the basic properties of the natural rubber bearings caused by the thermal aging bring only a minor effect on the seismic performance of bridges.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.32 no.2A
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• pp.109-116
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• 2012

The dynamic properties of lead rubber bearings, which are used as isolator, are dependent on the main rubber's dynamic behaviors and nonlinear qualities. Rubber materials tend to undergo an aging process under the influence of mechanical or environmental factors, so they can end up inevitably facing damage. A main cause of such aging is known to be oxidization, which occurs through the heat of reaction at high temperatures. Accordingly, in this study an accelerated thermal aging test was carried out in order to compare the characteristic values of the bearings with each other before and after thermal aging occurs. As a result of this experiment, it was found that a thermal aging phenomenon could have an effect on shear stiffness, energy absorption, and equivalent damping coefficients. Furthermore, a decline in the dynamic properties of the lead rubber bearings by means of the thermal aging process was applied to an actual bridge and the effects of such thermal aging on the seismic performance of the bridge were also compared and analyzed based on numerical analysis. As a result of this analysis, it was found that the changes in the basic properties of the lead rubber bearings have a minor effect on the seismic performance of bridges.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2023.05a
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• pp.277-278
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• 2023

The need for maintenance of bridge infrastructure is increasing due to aging, and the cost of maintaining the infrastructure must be calculated for effective budget distribution. Therefore, in this study, representative defects according to bridge superstructure type are derived to calculate the cost for each repair method. First of all, the representative bridges, PSCI girder bridge, Rahmen bridge, Steel box girder bridge, and RC slab bridge, were selected as superstructures using BMS data, and repair methods for defects were presented. In addition, the cost of the repair method by superstructure type was compared. This result is expected to predict total maintenance costs in consideration of the maintenance cycle.

• Journal of Applied Reliability
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.73-90
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• 2004

We performed the heat aging test to predict the useful lifetime of Elastomeric Bearing Chloroprene Rubber (CR) used for supporting bridge. During the test, we measured elongation that are influenced by temperature and aging time. The failure of a test piece is defined as the point at which the elongation reaches to 75% of the initial value. This failure criterion is based on KS F 4420: 1998 (Elastomeric Bearing for bridge). Through the accelerated heat aging test, we found that the Arrhenius relationship and the Weibull lifetime distribution are appropriate as the life-temperature relationship and lifetime distribution of the CR, respectively. Using the Arrhenius -Weibull model, the parameters of the model are estimated and the lifetime of the CR at use condition is predicted.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.147-168
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• 2017

Over the past couple decades, externally bonded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composites have emerged as a repair and strengthening material for many concrete infrastructure applications. This paper presents an analytical investigation of the use of carbon FRP (CFRP) for a specific problem that occurs in concrete bridge girders wherein the girder ends are damaged by excessive exposure to deicing salts and numerous freezing/thawing cycles. A 3D finite element (FE) model of a full scale prestressed concrete (PC) I-girder is used to investigate the effect of damage to the cover concrete and stirrups in the end region of the girder. Parametric studies are performed using externally bonded CFRP shear laminates to determine the most effective repair schemes for the damaged end region under a short shear span-to-depth ratio. Experimental results on shear pull off tests of CFRP laminates that have undergone accelerated aging are used to calibrate a bond stress-slip model for the interface between the FRP and concrete substrate and approximate the reduced bond stress-slip properties associated with exposure to the environment that causes this type of end region damage. The results of these analyses indicate that this particular application of this material can be effective in recovering the original strength of PC bridge girders with damaged end regions, even after environmental aging.

• Journal of Technologic Dentistry
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.345-352
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• 2012

Purpose: The age-hardening mechanism of an Au-Ag-Cu-Pt-Zn alloy for crown and bridge fabrication was investigated by means of hardness test, X-ray diffraction study and field emission scanning electron microscopic observation. Methods: Before hardness testing, the specimens were solution treated and then were rapidly quenched into ice brine, and were subsequently aged isothermally at $400-450^{\circ}C$ for various periods of time in a molten salt bath and then quenched into ice brain. Hardness measurements were made using a Vickers microhardness tester. The specimens were examined at 15 kV using a field emission scanning electron microscope. Results: By the isothermal aging of the solution-treated specimen at $450^{\circ}C$, the hardness increased rapidly in the early stage of aging process and reached a maximum hardness value. After that, the hardness decreased slowly with prolonged aging. However, the relatively high hardness value was obtained even with 20,000 min aging. By aging the solution-treated specimen, the f.c.c. Au-Ag-rich ${\alpha}_0$ phase was transformed into the Au-Ag-rich ${\alpha}_1$ phase and the AuCu I ordered phase. Conclusion: The hardness increase in the early stage of aging process was attributed to the formation of lattice strains by the precipitation of the Cu-rich phase and then subsequent ordering into the AuCu I-type phase. The decrease in hardness in the later stage of aging process was due to the release of coherency strains by the coarsening of tweed structure in the grain interior and by the growth and coarsening of the lamellar structure in the grain boundary. The increase of inter-lamellar space contributed slightly to the softening compared to the growth of lamellar structure toward the grain interior.