Influence of quality control of concrete on structural reliability: assessment using a Bayesian approach

Quality inspection plays an important role in the production process of concrete, as it inherently stimulates producers for obtaining a higher performance with respect to the investigated properties. In case of the conformity assessment of concrete compressive strength, the concrete strength distribution is filtered due to the rejection or acceptance of certain batches and this filter effect can be quantified using Bayesian updating techniques. As a consequence of the filter effect, conformity control has a positive influence on the structural reliability of concrete structures. This filter effect can be quantified by using an approximation method as developed herein or also by using classical FORM/SORM techniques. In order to illustrate the influence of conformity control on structural reliability, concrete elements (columns and beams) which are designed according to the Eurocodes, are analysed considering basic limit state equations, i.e. for compression and bending. Moreover, the influence of the reinforcement ratio and the load ratio on the filter effect is investigated. Numerical analyses reveal that the filter effect may positively influence especially reliability of lightly reinforced concrete members exposed to compression. It appears that it has a minor effect where reinforcement properties govern failure.

[1]  M Holick,et al.  Conventional probabilistic models for calibration of codes , 2011 .

[2]  A. Brix.  Bayesian Data Analysis, 2nd edn , 2005 .

[3]  L. Taerwe,et al.  The influence of autocorrelation on OC-lines of compliance criteria for concrete strength , 1987 .

[4]  Robby Caspeele,et al.  Probabilistic evaluation of conformity criteria for concrete families , 2011 .

[5]  A. M. Hasofer,et al.  Exact and Invariant Second-Moment Code Format , 1974 .

[6]  Douglas C. Montgomery,et al.  Introduction to Statistical Quality Control , 1986 .

[7]  Luc Taerwe.  Serial Correlation in Concrete Strength Records , 1987 .

[8]  Rüdiger Rackwitz.  Predictive distribution of strength under control , 1983 .

[9]  Robby Caspeele.  Probabilistic evaluation of conformity control and the use of Bayesian updating techniques in the framework of safety analyses of concrete structures , 2010 .

[10]  Robby Caspeele,et al.  Conformity control of concrete: some basic aspects , 2006 .

[11]  A W Beeby,et al.  CONCISE EUROCODE FOR THE DESIGN OF CONCRETE BUILDINGS. BASED ON BSI PUBLICATION DD ENV 1992-1-1: 1992. EUROCODE 2: DESIGN OF CONCRETE STRUCTURES. PART 1: GENERAL RULES AND RULES FOR BUILDINGS , 1993 .

[12]  David B. Dunson,et al.  Bayesian Data Analysis , 2010 .

[13]  Joseph Moses Juran,et al.  Quality-control handbook , 1951 .

[14]  Luc Taerwe,et al.  Evaluation of compound compliance criteria for concrete strength , 1988 .

[15]  Robby Caspeele,et al.  Influence of conformity control on the strength distribution of concrete and the safety level of concrete columns , 2010 .