Reliability Analysis of a Reinforced Concrete Drainage Structure

摘要

A reliability assessment was performed to examine potential models of unsatisfactory performance of six-barrel drainage structure and pumping plant. The structure is located under a 33-ft high levee section and is composed of reinforced concrete which has suffered severe structural deterioration and exposure of reinforcement. This structure is a critical element in the levee system that protects a major metropolitan area from river and bayou flooding. Loss of this structure during a project flood event would lead to a high probability of loss of life because of its proximity to a highly populated downtown area. Using soil-structure interaction analyses, the outer culvert wall was modeled as a beam-column subjected to lateral and vertical earth pressures, and hydrostatic water pressures. Monte Carlo Simulations, Advanced Second Moment, and First-Order Second Moment techniques were utilized to examine the reliability of the culvert in the limit states of ultimate shear and moment for normal operating conditions and for project floods of 1 and 2 percent occurrence.