Assessment of time-dependent structural resistance of RC bridges in the Barak valley region, Assam, India

The reinforced concrete (RC) bridges deteriorate essentially due to strength loss induced by aging of the structure, extreme weathering conditions, and unplanned increased service loads. However, these load variations and aging factors equally could compromise structural reliability, and service life for continuous satisfactory operation of service bridges for future performance. A reasonable model of bridge strength and applied loads becomes the basis of accurate prediction of bridge functionality. Hence, time-dependent reliability approaches could be used efficiently to gain a reliable understanding of issues facing by the bridges in the study area for appropriate solutions. In this paper, the reliability of bridges under harsh conditions studied using time-variant and time-invariant reliability models in which both load and resistance considered as a time-dependent parameter. A combination of condition rating (CR) and time-dependent load employed to attain accurate insights about the degradation of structural resistance of the existing bridges. The result shows the significant impact of aging as well as traffic loads influence in the service life of both national highways (NH) and rural road service bridges. These observations might be used to adopt appropriate planning strategies as well as rational decisions to ensure the safety of the bridges for future operation.