Modèle d'évolution de l'état des ponts-routes en béton

The management of existing road infrastructures is a multidisciplinary activity that involves structural engineering, material science, management, economics and ecology. The objective is to achieve maximum availability of road links at minimum societal costs. Recently, tools (Bridge Management Systems, BMSs) have been developed to help decision makers to determine the optimal management strategies within available resources. The condition development model is a key element of the BMSs. Currently this model is using empirical approach making use of data collected during inspections and is formulated with Markov chains. The assessment units are structural elements and these are classified into condition classes according to their visual appearance. The condition assessment is therefore rather subjective since no measurements are involved in it. Consequently, the condition development based on visual inspections will reflect this subjectivity. In order to improve the objectivity of condition forecasts physical and chemical phenomena governing deterioration has to be incorporated in the condition development model. Observations made on a bridge sample representative of the Swiss highway bridges showed that chloride-induced corrosion is the main deterioration mechanism. For this reason this research was focused upon modeling the chloride-induced corrosion. In this research, the condition development model is established, based physical and chemical phenomena involved in chloride induced corrosion. This analytical model is able to yield quantitative results on condition development. Accuracy and availability of input data govern the level of accuracy of such an analytical model. The existing knowledge on chloride induced corrosion and inspection techniques available on site are examined in order to develop a simple and reliable condition development model. Firstly, non-destructive testing methods are used in addition to visual observations, to determine quantitative values (permeability and thickness of the concrete cover) of parameters governing the segment deterioration. The structural elements are divided into areas i.e. segments where the parameters governing chloride-induced corrosion are assumed to be constant. It is proposed to divide structural elements into segments based on three concrete cover permeability classes, concrete cover thickness and three types of surface exposures to chloride contaminated water. Secondly, a chloride transport model is developed to simulate the real exposure of reinforcement to chloride contaminated water, taking into consideration the transport mechanisms of water and chloride ions. Simulations are performed for the various segment parameters that have been identified in the segmental approach. Thirdly, a relation is established between the free chloride ion content and the corrosion initiation probability. Using the results of the chloride transport model, the development of the corrosion initiation is determined for road bridges segments. An analysis is made to predict the corrosion initiation time of existing bridges as a function of their segment parameters (exposure and concrete cover permeability and thickness), but also to establish recommendations for the construction of new bridges. Fourthly, the corrosion rate i.e. loss of steel cross-section is then determined according to the concrete cover permeability and the exposure to chloride contaminated water. Fifthly, the results of the presented mode1 are mapped to conditions States as defined in the BMSs. Three degradation matrices (Markov chains) are determined, corresponding to three condition developments: favorable, normal and unfavorable. The three condition developments can be estimated for given quantitative values of the concrete cover permeability, thickness and surface exposure to chloride-contaminated water. In this way, the segment parameters may be used in BMSs to forecasts future condition of segments, elements and the whole structure. Finally the structural behaviour of the concrete road-bridges until failure is studied. The determinant failure scenarios are identified for each bridge type and a case study is performed on the sample representative for the Swiss highway bridges. For this purpose the determinant segments for the structural safety are identified. Additionally the required concrete cover depth for a service life of 50 and 100 years is expressed as a function of the permeability and the exposure to chloride contaminated water. This research outlines the need to measure the concrete cover permeability and thickness with non-destructive test methods as well as to determine the exposure to chloride contaminated water. These values are essential to predict the condition development of concrete road bridges.

The development of material-adapted structural form

Sean Dooley

New structural materials can potentially change the technics and economics of the building and construction industry in a profound way. It is important to identify applications and develop forms that exploit a material's unique properties. The developer of a material can use the knowledge of how materials such as steel and reinforced concrete were first introduced to advance the development and application of new materials today. This project examines why structural forms have evolved as they have and what influences the process of creating form, or form-finding. The purpose of this analysis is to aid the development of structural forms that make the most efficient use of material and take advantage of a material's processing and constructive attributes. Such forms are called material-adapted. This thesis is based on the general history of structural materials used in construction. This research is summarized in six appended case studies that comprise the data of the thesis. The research has extended well beyond these case studies; some of this data is included in the main text. The research showed that the influences on form-finding are: Function; Material Properties; Processing Technologies; Connection Technology; Construction Process; Economics; Socio- Political Factors; Knowledge; and Technological Thought. A Form-Finding Influence Interaction Model summarizes the inter-relationships of these influences. It was first assumed that material-adapted form is determined by material properties alone. Further research showed this untrue. The hypothesis of this thesis is that material properties do not unilaterally determine material-adapted structural form. This statement is true because the nature of a material is a function of its properties and its processing and constructive attributes. A material's processing and constructive attributes are dependent on technology and organizational systems that are not specific to the material. It was further hypothesized that new materials are first used substitutionally in forms and applications of known materials. This concept was found to be misleading and untrue for a number of materials. The knowledge of this thesis was used to examine the current development of fiber reinforced polymer composite materials. It is shown that a material's development can be analyzed not only by the aforementioned influences, but also by characteristics of other material developments. This information is used to suggest how these materials might develop in the future.

EPFL2004

Composite action of FRP bridge decks adhesively bonded to steel main girders

Herbert Gürtler

Up until today reinforced concrete has been used in most cases for the manufacturing of bridge decks. Depending on the quality of the work carried out, defects can already occur after only a few years. These defects mostly appear in the form of corrosion of the steel reinforcement due to concrete's sensitivity to de-icing salts and water. To reduce maintenance costs, which are mainly caused by corrosion of the steel reinforcement, attempts were made to eliminate the steel reinforcement in the bridge deck. This was achieved for example by replacing the whole concrete bridge deck with an FRP1 bridge deck. FRP bridge decks, besides the advantage of the absence of steel reinforcement, exhibit the advantage of a low dead load (approx. 20% of a comparable concrete deck) combined with high strength. These properties resulted in the fact that today more than 200 bridges with FRP decks are in service worldwide. Most of them need steel or concrete main girders to bridge the required span. Despite the many bridges already in service, assessment of their load-bearing capacity or deflections still remains difficult. Some of the reasons for this this are as follows: Geometry and material properties vary considerably between different FRP bridge-deck types. The problem of the connection between main girders and bridge decks has only been partially solved. No design method exists which allows determination of the stresses and deflections of composite girders, and takes the degree of composite action of the bridge deck into account. This thesis contributes to solve these problems. Experiments with two different bridge decks were carried out in order to determine the necessary system properties (in-plane compression and shear resistance and in-plane compression and shear stiffness) for the calculation of the load-bearing behavior of steel/FRP composite girders. The method developed to determine the system properties can also be applied to other FRP bridge decks (e.g. sandwich decks). In a second step, four composite girders (two with each bridge deck) were manufactured by bonding the bridge decks onto conventional steel girders. Local failure of the bridge deck, as occurs in girders with stud or bolt connections, is therefore prevented and a clear load transfer in the joint is assured. One of the two girders, with each bridge deck system, was tested statically and the other statically and under fatigue loads. The results of the girder experiments showed that adhesive bonding is a reliable connection technique, since failure always occurred first in the bridge deck and then in the adhesive layer. The stiffness and failure load of the composite girders could be increased considerably in comparison with the pure steel girder. The determined system properties concerning in-plane shear and compression stiffness were confirmed with the girder experiments. The results of the experiments with the composite girders were compared with results of an analytical design method for concrete/wood girders adapted for steel/FRP composite girders. It was shown that the load-bearing behavior of composite girders consisting of steel main girders and adhesively- bonded FRP bridge decks can be determined with good accuracy in the linear-elastic region. Furthermore a design method was developed which allows the loadbearing capacity of the steel/FRP composite girders investigated in this thesis to be determined with very good accuracy. Subsequently a parameter study was carried out in order to verify the assumption of full composite action in the adhesively- bonded joint. This is one of the requirements for application of the developed design methods. The study showed that the assumption is applicable for different adhesives and even for thicknesses up to 50 mm. ---------------------------------------- 1 Fiber Reinforced Polymer

EPFL2005

Addressing the need to monitor concrete fatigue with Non Destructive Testing: results of Infrastar European project

Antoine Bassil, Imane Bayane, Eugen Brühwiler, Xiao Wang

Fatigue is one of the most prevalent issues, which directly influences the service life expectancy of concrete structures. Fatigue has been investigated for years for steel structures. However, recent findings suggest that concrete structures may also be significantly subjected to fatigue phenomena that could lead to premature failure of certain structural elements. To date, fatigue of reinforced concrete has been given little focus. Knowledge on the influence factors and durability/capacity effects on this material should be improved. Current technological means to measure fatigue in civil structures like bridges and wind turbines (both onshore and offshore) are outdated, imprecise and inappropriate. Meanwhile, this topic has got much more attention as time-variant loading on concrete structures plays an increasing role, e.g. in bridges with increasing traffic and heavier trucks, and for wind turbines for renewable energy production, e.g. for offshore wind turbine support structures affected by wind and waves. The European Innovative Training Networks (ITN) Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions project INFRASTAR (Innovation and Networking for Fatigue and Reliability Analysis of Structures - Training for Assessment of Risk) provides research training for 12 PhD students. The project aims to improve knowledge for optimizing the design of new structures as well as for more realistic verification of structural safety and more accurate prediction of the remaining fatigue lifetime of existing concrete structures. First, the INFRASTAR research framework is detailed. Then it will be exemplified through the presentation of the major results of the four PhD students involved in the work package dealing with auscultation and monitoring. This includes the development and improvement of Fiber Optics (FO) and Coda Wave Interferometry (CWI) for crack sizing and imagery, new sensor technologies and integration, information management, monitoring strategy for fatigue damage investigation and lifetime prediction.

2018