System reliability and system reliability-based carrying capacity evaluation of cable-stayed bridges

This paper is intended to propose a practical system reliability-based approach for the safety and load carrying capacity evaluation of cable-stayed bridges. In the paper, an improved interaction LRFR(Load and Resistance Factor Rating) formula is proposed for the codified rating at the element level whereas a new approach is also suggested for the evaluation of system reliability-based load carrying capacity, of cable-stayed bridges under vehicle traffic loads in terms of equivalent system-Strength which may be defined as a bridge system-strength corresponding to the system reliability index of the bridge. The system reliability of cable-stayed bridges is formulated as a partial ETA(Event Tree Analysis) model considering the major failure paths including combined failures of cables, deck, and pylons.