• Computational Structural Engineering
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.125-132
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• 1996

This study is to propose a practical and realistic reliability analysis by ETCM (Expected Total Cost Minimization). One of the main objectives is intended to propose the safety assessment and capacity rating of existing reinforced concrete members by evaluation index, that is RF(Rating Factor) from the results of the field test and inspection for reinforced concrete bridge. ETCM method is used for the reliability analysis of the proposed models. The proposed reliability model and method are applied to the safety assessment and system factors of reinforced concrete members.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.717-723
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• 2002

Recently, the interest in safety assessment of civil infrastructures is increasing in Korea. Especially, as bridge structures become large-scale, it is necessary to monitor and maintain the safety state of bridges, which requires the monitoring system that can make a long-term measurement during the service time of bridge. In this paper, advanced fiber optic sensors for long-term measurement, setup techniques of bridge monitoring system and the assessment of measured data are introduced. Attached or embedded optical fiber sensors to structural members of small and big structures including Sung San Bridge are surveyed. For the Sung San Bridge, the responses of the fiber optic sensors by 30 ton weigh truck loads with various speeds ate measured. Monitoring system is also applied to the mock-up of bridges. The monitoring capability of the advanced fiber optic sensor system was confirmed.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.235-242
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• 2004

Bridge Management System (BMS) requires a more objective condition assessment over the lifespan of a given bridge. Thus, a quantitative assessment model of resistance capacity was developed here to meet the requirement for deteriorated concrete bridges. The model focuses on damage mechanisms of concrete bridges deteriorated by traffic loads and environment factors such as chloride and carbonation attacks. Also, it was applied to a typical concrete slab bridge which was severely damaged due to both load and environmental conditions. It was shown that the proposed quantitative model simulates well the deterioration level considering the two damage criteria.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.85 no.4
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• pp.531-543
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• 2023

The existing concrete bridges are time-varying working systems, where the maintenance strategy should be planned according to the time-varying performance of the bridge. This work proposes a time-dependent residual capacity assessment procedure, which considers the non-stationary bridge load effects under growing traffic and non-stationary structural deterioration owing to material degradations. Lifetime bridge load effects under traffic growth are predicated by the non-stationary peaks-over-threshold (POT) method using time-dependent generalized Pareto distribution (GPD) models. The non-stationary structural resistance owing to material degradation is modeled by incorporating the Gamma deterioration process and field inspection data. A three-span continuous box-girder bridge is illustrated as an example to demonstrate the application of the proposed procedure, and the time-varying reliability indexes of the bridge girder are calculated. The accuracy of the proposed non-stationary POT method is verified through numerical examples, where the shape parameter of the time-varying GPD model is constant but the threshold and scale parameters are polynomial functions increasing with time. The case study illustrates that the residual flexural capacities show a degradation trend from a slow decrease to an accelerated decrease under traffic growth and material degradation. The reliability index for the mid-span cross-section reduces from 4.91 to 4.55 after being in service for 100 years, and the value is from 4.96 to 4.75 for the mid-support cross-section. The studied bridge shows no safety risk under traffic growth and structural deterioration owing to its high design safety reserve. However, applying the proposed numerical approach to analyze the degradation of residual bearing capacity for bridge structures with low safety reserves is of great significance for management and maintenance.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.90 no.2
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• pp.159-175
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• 2024

In order to solve the problem of calculating the reasonable completed bridge state of a self-anchored hybrid cable-stayed suspension bridge (SA-HCSB), this paper proposes an analytical method. This method simplifies the main beam into a continuous beam with multi-point rigid supports and solves the support reaction forces. According to the segmented catenary theory, it simultaneously solves the horizontal forces of the main span main cables and the stay cables and iteratively calculates the equilibrium force system on the main beam in the collaborative system bridge state while completing the shape finding of the main span main cable and stay cables. Then, the horizontal forces of the side span main cables and stay cables are obtained based on the balance of horizontal forces on the bridge towers, and the shape finding of the side spans are completed according to the segmented catenary theory. Next, the difference between the support reaction forces of the continuous beam with multiple rigid supports obtained from the initial and final iterations is used to calculate the load of ballast on the side span main beam. Finally, the axial forces and strains of each segment of the main beam and bridge tower are obtained based on the loads applied by the main cable and stay cables on the main beam and bridge tower, thereby obtaining analytical data for the bridge in the reasonable completed state. In this paper, the rationality and effectiveness of this analytical method are verified through a case study of a SA-HCSB with a main span of 720m in finite element analysis. At the same time, it is also verified that the equilibrium force of the main beam under the reasonably completed bridge state can be obtained through iterative calculation. The analytical algorithm in this paper has clear physical significance, strong applicability, and high accuracy of calculation results, enriching the shape-finding method of this bridge type.

• Journal of the Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance of hollow reinforced concrete bridge column systems with reinforcement details for material quantity reduction. The proposed reinforcement details have economic feasibility and rationality and make construction periods shorter. A model of hollow reinforced concrete bridge columns was tested under a constant axial load and a quasi-static cyclically reversed horizontal load. As a result, proposed reinforcement details for material quantity reduction were equal to existing reinforcement details in terms of required performance. The companion paper presents the experimental and analytical study for the performance assessment of hollow reinforced concrete bridge column systems with reinforcement details for material quantity reduction.

• 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 Earthquake Engineering Society of Korea
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.13-25
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate the seismic behavior of hollow circular reinforced concrete bridge columns with confinement steel, and to develop improved seismic design criteria. Three hollow circular columns were tested under a constant axial load and a quasi-static, cyclically reversed horizontal load. The accuracy and objectivity of the assessment process can be enhanced by using a sophisticated nonlinear finite element analysis program. The numerical method used gives a realistic prediction of the seismic performance throughout the loading cycles for the several test specimens investigated. Based on the experimental and analytical results, design recommendations are presented to improve current practice in the design and construction of hollow circular reinforced concrete bridge columns.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2005.05a
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• pp.335-338
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• 2005

This study was performed to verify that the impact vibration test on the damaged concrete pier can be adopted for assessment of the bridge substructure integrity. Using the experimental modal analysis, the dynamic property changes of the concrete pier are investigated according to the damage levels which are modeled by the loss of cross section area of the pier body. As a result of the impact vibration test, it is found that the natural frequency of the bridge substructure is reduced due to the damage on the pier such as loss of cross section area, and the natural frequency can be used for assessment of the integrity index.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.126-134
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• 1998

In this paper, the field test by truck load and the structural analysis were performed on a prestressed concrete beam bridge to investigate the load carrying capacity of the prestressed concrete beam bridges. From the results of the field test and the structural analysis, CAF (composite action factor), TIF(transformed impact factor), and $P_n$(load carrying capacity) of the prestressed concrete beam bridges were studied, and the load carrying capacity assessment of the prestressed concrete beam bridges were carried out using these factors.