Fatigue reliability evaluation of old steel bridges based on probabilistic fracture mechanics

There are many old steel bridges on Chinese transportation lines, which keep their normal traffic service function. The old bridges are often required to carry an increasing volume of traffic and heavier vehicles than the original design, so bridge management departments pay more attention to the actual remaining fatigue life of such structures. Based on probabilistic fracture mechanics theory, the member and the system fatigue failure evaluation models for old steel bridges are all proposed, and the fatigue reliability analysis program is developed using Monte-Carlo. As a case study, the evaluation models are used to predicate the fatigue reliability of Zhejiang Street Bridge. According to evaluation results, the probabilistic remaining fatigue life, safe inspection intervals and maintenance strategy are determined.