Crack statistic-based method for bridge performance assessment

This paper proposes a new method for the performance assessment of concrete bridge, in which the capacity or the residual capacity of a bridge is estimated according to the statistic quantities of all the cracks on the bridge surfaces. The finite element numerical analysis instead of 'real experiments' is performed to simulate the concrete cracking process, and the simulated experiments are designed to be orthogonal to reveal the multivariate relationships between the bridge performance and the cracks. In these experiments, the importance of different factors affecting the multiple relationship is determined through a screening analysis, and the relationship between the performance and the cracks is illustrated by setting up a regression model. Experimental results show that the regression model with fewer factors can yield accurate and reliable assessment results. Thus, the proposed method can be used as an effective means for the periodic assessments in bridge management system due to its feasibility, convenience and low cost.