Reliability model for corroded steel bridge girders

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 39-40).Corrosion is one of the main causes of deterioration of bridges. Structures exposed to harsh environmental conditions are subjected to time-variant changes of their load-carrying capacity. Thus, there is a need for an evaluation to accurately assess the actual condition and predict the remaining life of a structure. System reliability can be used as an efficient tool in evaluation of existing structures. The traditional approach is based on the consideration of individual components rather than the system as a whole. However, it has been observed that the load-carrying capacity of the whole system often is much larger than what is determined by the design of components. Quantification of this difference is the scope of this study.by Irene A. Cordahi.M.Eng