Reliability-based and life-cycle cost-oriented design recommendations for prestressed concrete bridge girders

There are several methods available to decide appropriate design recommendations to prevent corrosion of reinforcing steel in prestressed concrete bridge girders. With respect to chloride-induced corrosion, in the present study two methods are considered. The first one is based on the target probability of corrosion initiation and the initial cost. The other method is based on the life-cycle cost that includes the initial cost, maintenance cost, and expected failure cost. This paper deals with the development of recommendations for durability design of structures in marine environments from the reliability point of view, taking into consideration the life-cycle cost of a structure. In order to address the problem, the chloride diffusion coefficient of a cracked area under service load is obtained considering opening and closing motion of cracks. Utilizing the diffusion coefficient of a cracked area, the development over time of the chloride concentration at the surface of reinforcement can be predicted. This information is used to quantify the probability of initiation of corrosion of prestressing steel as well as the distribution of life-cycle cost. Based on the findings, recommendations for durability design in various exposure environments are developed.