Role of uncertainties in the lifetime performance of concrete structures

A general approach to the probabilistic nonlinear and limit analysis of framed structures in aggressive environments is used to investigate the role of the uncertainty effects associated with different parameters defining the time-variant performance of concrete structures. Based on suitable time-dependent sensitivity analysis the results of the probabilistic analysis shows that the relative importance of the uncertainty effects associated with each random variable may significantly vary during time due to the various sources of structural damage which may strongly affect the structural reliability.