Reassessment of Existing Concrete Bridges with Full Probabilistic Methods – Case Studies and Discussion of Relevant Input Parameters

This article presents two case studies for a full-probabilistic assessment of existing concrete bridges combined with the use of the finite element method for the evaluation of the internal forces. Since the structures already exist, additional information about material parameters and loading conditions can be collected. With a sensitivity analysis, the contribution of each parameter to the total uncertainty is examined and the relevance of their actual value and variation is shown. The first case study is a single-span reinforced concrete frame bridge on the German highway A92 constructed in the year 1985. With a span of around 5 m, but a width of 27 m and a skewness of 70 gon, the bridge is modelled as a three-dimensional finite element model. The second case study is a two-span reinforced concrete frame bridge from 1986 with span lengths of about 7,50 m each. The superstructure is a 45 cm thick slab and the base plate has a thickness of 80 cm. The assessment is performed based on the semi-probabilistic safety concept according to the codes first and secondly with a full-probabilistic calculation. In this article the selection of parameters for the relevant input data are presented and discussed. The results of the sensitivity analysis are used for the setup of measurements to acquire important data for the modelling in the critical limit states.