Probabilistic service life assessment and maintenance planning of concrete structures

This paper presents a general approach to the probabilistic prediction of the structural service life and to the maintenance planning of deteriorating concrete structures. The proposed formulation is based on a novel methodology for the assessment of the time-variant structural performance under the diffusive attack of external aggressive agents. Based on this methodology, Monte Carlo simulation is used to account for the randomness of the main structural parameters, including material properties, geometrical parameters, area and location of the reinforcement, material diffusivity and damage rates. The time-variant reliability is then computed with respect to proper measures of structural performance. The results of the lifetime durability analysis are finally used to select, among different maintenance scenarios, the most economical rehabilitation strategy leading to a prescribed target value of the structural service life. Two numerical applications, a box-girder bridge deck and a pier of an existing bridge, show the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.