Evaluation of Corroded Steel Bridges

In the United States there is a large inventory of corroded steel bridges. The evaluation of these existing bridges is difficult when considering all the uncertainties involved in deterioration. Reliability methods can be used to evaluate existing bridges in terms of safety, incorporating the variations in corrosion. The various forms of corrosion are reviewed, along with how corrosion affects steel bridges. The tools which are available for determining the effects of corrosion on bridges are discussed, including sensitivity analysis for identifying critical items, Bayesian updating for improving capacity estimates, and reliability analysis for calculating bridge safety.