Lifetime axial-bending capacity of a r.c. bridge pier cross-section subjected to corrosion

Reinforced concrete structures in service may be affected by aging, which may include changes in strength and stiffness assumed in structural design, in particular when the concrete is exposed to an aggressive environment. In this context, this paper provides a computational probabilistic approach to predict the time-evolution of the mechanical and geometrical properties of a statically determinate r.c. structural system (i.e. bridge pier) subjected to corrosion-induced deterioration, due to diffusive attack of chlorides, in order to evaluate its service life. Adopting appropriate degradation models of the material properties, concrete and reinforcing steel, as well as assuming appropriate probability density functions related to mechanical and deterioration parameters, the proposed model is based on Monte Carlo simulations in order to evaluate time variant axial force-bending moment resistance domains, with the aim to estimate the time-variant reliability index. Finally, an application to estimate the expected lifetime of a r.c. bridge pier is described