RELIABILITY OF REINFORCED CONCRETE BRIDGE DECKS SUBJECT TO CUMULATIVE DAMAGE

Concrete bridge deck damage, manifested as cracking and delamination, is caused by a combination of mechanical and environmental loading. The mechanism defining the interaction of the loading, and the proportion of damage assignable to each, requires better definition. In addition, the mechanical and environmental loading are each stochastic processes. Research on cracking of flexural members suggests a large proportion of the damage should be assigned to mechanical loading, however, field surveys of bridge decks suggest otherwise. This paper presents the available statistics for load and resistance models as well as the current mechanism models critical to the deck slab performance and behavior. Further, the paper presents the need for a reliability analysis model for deck slab cumulative damage. A sensitivity analysis methodology required to evaluate the critical variables in the reliability analysis of deck slabs is presented. Finally, the paper discusses critical research needed to develop improved bridge deck reliability models.