Role of monitoring in life-cycle assessment, prediction and management of deteriorating structures

Abstract

Assessment, prediction and management of deteriorating structures are crucially needed practices for the effective and economic upkeep of deteriorating structures. The uncertainties in the available information for conducting analyses pertaining to these practices impose a great challenge in the process. However, with the use of proper probabilistic tools for handling these uncertainties, more accurate outcomes do become achievable. In structures, one great source of uncertainty is related to the load effect. Code design values are traditionally used to establish maximum lifetime anticipated limits for these load effects. In many cases, these limits are highly conservative. In other cases, the loading demands of the structure unforeseenly increase over time to even cross these pre-set limits. This is clearly an undesired situation that should be avoided. As an effective solution, the demands of the structure may be monitored either throughout the lifetime of the structure, or during separate periods over its lifetime. Doing so greatly improves the knowledge regarding the real loading demands on the structure, reduces uncertainties in the input information, and provides warnings to structural managers when an overload takes place. The objective of this paper is to illustrate how data obtained from monitoring can be integrated into the assessment, prediction and management of deteriorating structures. The role that monitoring plays in enhancing the outcomes of these processes is demonstrated. An example will be conducted over an existing bridge in the state of Wisconsin. Details of the bridge and its instrumentation are given in Mahmoud et al.(2005