LIFE ANALYSIS OF BRIDGES IN SERVICE

摘要

The life analysis of bridges in service is the basis of decision making optimization for bridge maintenance. According to the main concerns of bridge structure performance, that is, the security, serviceability, and economy, the corresponding concepts of bridge life are defined in this paper, including the "safe life", the "service life", the "economic life" and other composite life concepts. Thus, a whole frame of life analysis is set up. The probabilistic distributions of lives are investigated when uncertainty is considered. Meanwhile, the effects of various factors on the life are also discussed. Further, the differences are exhibited and the internal relations among the lives are also presented. Finally, the changes of structure lives are studied for different maintenance methods and strategies. The integration of structure performance and structure life by the concepts and methods in this paper let life analysis come true in a real sense.