Field load testing and reliability-based integrity assessment of segmental PC box girder bridges before opening to traffic

The main objective of this study is to suggest practical methods for field load testing and a reliability-based approach for the assessment of safety, durability, and load carrying capacity of newly constructed PC box girder bridges erected by the Incremental Launching Method (ILM) technique before opening to traffic. This paper also suggests practical strength and crack durability limit state equations for the reliability-based integrity assessment of segmental PC box girder bridge. The AFOSM and ISM are used for the reliability analysis using the proposed models. The proposed reliability methods with the results of extensive static and dynamic field tests are applied for the integrity assessment of a new segmental PC box girder bridge-namely, New Haengju Grand Bridge over the Han River in Seoul, which has been reconstructed by ILM after the collapse during construction 5 years ago. It may be stated that the proposed field load testing and reliability models may be implemented as a rational and practical approach for the integrity assessment of segmental PC box girder bridges erected by ILM before opening to traffic. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.