• Computers and Concrete
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.387-403
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• 2014

The aim of this study is to assess the structural performance of deteriorated reinforced concrete bridge piers, and to provide method for developing improved evaluation method. For a deteriorated bridge piers, once the cover spalls off and bond between the reinforcement and concrete has been lost, compressed reinforcements are likely to buckle. By using a sophisticated nonlinear finite element analysis program, the accuracy and objectivity of the assessment process can be enhanced. A computer program, RCAHEST (Reinforced Concrete Analysis in Higher Evaluation System Technology), is used to analyze reinforced concrete structures. Material nonlinearity is taken into account by comprising tensile, compressive and shear models of cracked concrete and a model of reinforcing steel. Advanced deteriorated material models are developed to predict behaviors of deteriorated reinforced concrete. The proposed numerical method for the structural performance assessment of deteriorated reinforced concrete bridge piers is verified by comparing it with reliable experimental results. Additionally, the studies and discussions presented in this investigation provide an insight into the key behavioral aspects of deteriorated reinforced concrete bridge piers.

• Proceedings of the Computational Structural Engineering Institute Conference
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• 1994.04a
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• pp.199-208
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• 1994

One of the main objectives of the study is to propose a practical but realistic limit state model considering combined effect of axial and bending load for reliability analysis and safety assessment of cable-stayed bridge under vehicle traffic loads. This paper is intended to propose a new approach for the evaluation of reserved load carrying capacity of cable-stayed bridge under vehicle traffic loads in terms of equivalent strength, which may be defined as a bridge strength corresponding to the reliability index of the bridge. This can be derived from an inverse process based on the concept of FOSM form of reliability index. AFOSM and IST methods are used for the reliability analysis of the proposed models. The proposed reliability model and methods are applied to the safety assessment of Jindo Bridge which is one of major two cable-stayed bridges in Korea.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.111-118
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• 2002

Currently, the inspection of bridges is conduced for the parts or elements of a bridges and the results of inspection are depicted for those local elements. Therefore, the representative rating of a bridge as a whole bridge system is not presented. The purpose of the present study is to purpose a reasonable method which can yield realistic representative rating for an actual bridge. The purpose method consists of two steps, i.e, visual inspection step and safety assessment step. The importance of members is considered by introducing the weighting factors and the number of spans is also considered to obtain the representative rating of a whole bridge system. The purpose method may be efficiently used to calculate the realistic representative rating bridge structures.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.645-667
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• 2016

The 750 m long "De Bosset" bridge in the Cephalonia Island of Western Greece, being the area with the highest seismicity in Europe, was constructed in 1830 by successive stone arches and stiff block-type piers. The bridge suffered extensive damages during past earthquakes, such as the strong M7.2 earthquake of 1953, followed by poorly-designed reconstruction schemes with reinforced concrete. In 2005, a multidisciplinary project for the seismic assessment and restoration of the "De Bosset" bridge was undertaken under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture. The proposed retrofitting scheme combining soil improvement, structural strengthening and reconstruction of the deteriorated masonry sections was recently applied on site. Design of the rehabilitation measures and assessment of the pre- and post-interventions seismic response of the bridge were based on detailed in-situ and laboratory tests, providing foundation soil and structural material properties. In-situ inspection of the rehabilitated bridge following the strong M6.1 and M6.0 Cephalonia earthquakes of January 26th and February 3rd 2014, respectively, revealed no damages or visible defects. The efficiency of the bridge retrofitting is also proved by a preliminary performance analysis of the bridge under the recorded ground motion induced by the above earthquakes.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.151-161
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• 1998

In this study, an attempt is made to apply the concept of fuzzy-bayesian theory to the integrity assessment of RC highway bridge, and uncertainty states are represented in terms of fuzzy sets which define several linguistic variables such as "very good", "good", "average", "poor", "very poor", etc. Especially, the concept of fuzzy conditional probability aids to derive a new reliability analysis which includes the subjective assessment of engineers without introducing any additional correction factors. The fuzzy concept are also used as reliability indexes for the condition assessment based on the proposed models, the proposed fuzzy theory-based approach with the results of visual inspection and extensive field load tests are applied to the integrity assessment of a new RC highway bridge, namely, Jichok bridge.

• Earthquakes and Structures
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.583-607
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• 2016

One of the main applications of seismic risk assessment is that an specific design could be selected for a bridge from different alternatives by considering damage losses alongside primary construction costs. Therefore, in this paper, the focus is on selecting the shape of pylon, which is a changeable component in the design of a cable-stayed bridge, as a double criterion decision-making problem. Different shapes of pylons include H, A, Y, and diamond shape, and the two criterion are construction costs and probable earthquake losses. In this research, decision-making is performed by using developed seismic risk assessment process as a powerful method. Considering the existing uncertainties in seismic risk assessment process, the combined incremental dynamic analysis (IDA) and uniform design (UD) based fragility assessment method is proposed, in which the UD method is utilized to provide the logical capacity models of the structure, and the IDA method is employed to give the probabilistic seismic demand model of structure. Using the aforementioned models and by defining damage states, the fragility curves of the bridge system are obtained for the different pylon shapes usage. Finally, by combining the fragility curves with damage losses and implementing the proposed cost-loss-benefit (CLB) method, the seismic risk assessment process is developed with financial-comparative approach. Thus, the optimal shape of the pylon can be determined using double criterion decision-making. The final results of decision-making study indicate that the optimal pylon shapes for the studied span of cable-stayed bridge are, respectively, H shape, diamond shape, Y shape, and A shape.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.127-145
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• 2012

One of the most important and challenging steps in seismic vulnerability and performance assessment of highway bridges is the determination of the bridge component damage parameters and their corresponding limit states. These parameters are very essential for defining bridge damage state as well as determining the performance of highway bridges under a seismic event. Therefore, realistic damage limit states are required in the development of reliable fragility curves, which are employed in the seismic risk assessment packages for mitigation purposes. In this article, qualitative damage assessment criteria for ordinary highway bridges are taken into account considering the critical bridge components in terms of proper engineering demand parameters (EDPs). Seismic damage of bridges is strongly related to the deformation of bridge components as well as member internal forces imposed due to seismic actions. A simple approach is proposed for determining the acceptance criteria and damage limit states for use in seismic performance and vulnerability assessment of ordinary highway bridges in Turkey constructed after the 1990s. Physical damage of bridge components is represented by three damage limit states: serviceability, damage control, and collapse prevention. Inelastic deformation and shear force demand of the bent components (column and cap beam), and superstructure displacement are the most common causes for the seismic damage of the highway bridges. Each damage limit state is quantified with respect to the EDPs: i.e. curvature and shear force demand of RC bent components and superstructure relative displacement.

• KSCE Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.26 no.2A
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• pp.351-361
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• 2006

In this study, nonlinear finite element analysis procedures are presented for the seismic performance assessment of circular reinforced concrete bridge piers with confinement steel. This paper defines a damage index based on the predicted hysteretic behavior of a circular reinforced concrete bridge pier. Damage indices aim to provide a means of quantifying numerically the damage in circular reinforced concrete bridge piers sustained under earthquake loading. The proposed numerical method is applied to circular reinforced concrete bridge piers with confinement steel tested by the authors. The proposed numerical method gives a realistic prediction of seismic performance throughout the loading cycles for several test specimens investigated.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.144-147
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• 2003

This paper presents a nonlinear finite element analysis procedure for the seismic performance assessment of reinforced concrete bridge piers using damage indices. The accuracy and objectivity of the assessment process may be enhanced by the use of sophisticated nonlinear finite element analysis program. A computer program, named RCAHEST(Reinforced Concrete Analysis in Higher Evaluation System Technology), for the analysis of reinforced concrete structures was used. Damage indices aim to provide a means of quantifying numerically the damage reinforced concrete bridge piers sustained under earthquake loading. The proposed numerical method for the seismic performance assessment of reinforced concrete bridge piers is verified by comparison with the reliable experimental results.

• Proceedings of the Korea Concrete Institute Conference
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.803-808
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• 2001

Mathematical basis of interpretation of data from nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods in bridge inspection is presented. In bridge inspection with NDE methods, NDE data are not assessments. NDE data must be interpreted as condition of element. Interpretation is then assessment. Correct assessments of conditions of bridge elements depend on the accuracy and variability in test data as well as on the uncertainty of correlations between attributes (what is measured) and conditions (what is sought in the inspection). Inaccuracy and variability in test data defines the qualify or NDE test. The qualify or test itself is important, but in view of condition assessment, the significance of uncertainty in correlations of attributes and conditions must be combined. NDE methods that are accurate in their measurements may still be found to be poor methods if attributes are uncertain indicators of condition of bridge elements. This paper reports mathematical presentation of inaccuracy and variability in test data and of uncertainty in correlation of attributes to element conditions with three examples of NDE methods.