Citation

Kudzys A. Balt. J. Road Bridge Eng. 2009; 4(4): 149-155.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Publisher Technika)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This article presents a residual reliability index for assessing the load-carrying structures of existing highway bridges overloaded by unforeseen vehicular live loads. The authors discuss the primary and inspection structural safety margins of particular members of bridges. The primary and revised survival probabilities of intact particular members are analyzed. Target reliability indices of the structural members of road bridges are presented. The authors recommend a transformed Bayes theorem in the analysis of revised failure probabilities of overloaded members of highway bridges. The Bayesian approach is combined with the method of transformed conditional probabilities for series systems. Numerical examples are presented that demonstrate the simple calculation of revised reliability indices of particular members.