The global issue of premature deterioration in bridges and other structures requires a switch from prescriptive to performance-based durability design of infrastructure, taking into account specific environmental exposure and the combination of actions to which a structure will be exposed during its service life.
Although many numerical models for service life prediction have been developed in the last four decades, their application to real structures is still not at a satisfactory level. This is due to the complexity of mechanical, physical, thermal and chemical processes related to the deterioration processes, but also due to difficulty in quantifying the material, structural and environmental performance indicators and their interactions. In addition, there are several sources of uncertainty and spatial variability related to deterioration processes, exposure, models, inspection, etc. These uncertainties and spatial variability affect the service life predictions and should be quantified and considered in a comprehensive form.
This Research Topic deals with the new advances reached in the last years in the field of service life prediction (deterministic or probabilistic) of bridges and structures, including, but not limited to, the following topics:
• Numerical simulation (physically based or metamodels) of degradation processes in construction materials, e.g. chloride ingress in concrete, timber decay, steel corrosion, etc.
• Reliability-based approaches for uncertainty quantification, deterioration modeling, and maintenance modeling and optimization,
• Combination of mechanical and environmental loadings during service life of a structure
• Calibration and validation of service life prediction models to specific micro-climate, local environmental exposure conditions
• Service life prediction considering climate change scenarios
• Case studies on performance-based durability design of infrastructure
• Application of on-site testing and structural health monitoring in service life prediction
• Determination of residual service life of existing structures
• Assessment of service life prolongation due to structure protection and repair
• Determination of the threshold values of durability performance indicators and the structure service life end
• State of the art reviews related to the above-mentioned topics.
The global issue of premature deterioration in bridges and other structures requires a switch from prescriptive to performance-based durability design of infrastructure, taking into account specific environmental exposure and the combination of actions to which a structure will be exposed during its service life.
Although many numerical models for service life prediction have been developed in the last four decades, their application to real structures is still not at a satisfactory level. This is due to the complexity of mechanical, physical, thermal and chemical processes related to the deterioration processes, but also due to difficulty in quantifying the material, structural and environmental performance indicators and their interactions. In addition, there are several sources of uncertainty and spatial variability related to deterioration processes, exposure, models, inspection, etc. These uncertainties and spatial variability affect the service life predictions and should be quantified and considered in a comprehensive form.
This Research Topic deals with the new advances reached in the last years in the field of service life prediction (deterministic or probabilistic) of bridges and structures, including, but not limited to, the following topics:
• Numerical simulation (physically based or metamodels) of degradation processes in construction materials, e.g. chloride ingress in concrete, timber decay, steel corrosion, etc.
• Reliability-based approaches for uncertainty quantification, deterioration modeling, and maintenance modeling and optimization,
• Combination of mechanical and environmental loadings during service life of a structure
• Calibration and validation of service life prediction models to specific micro-climate, local environmental exposure conditions
• Service life prediction considering climate change scenarios
• Case studies on performance-based durability design of infrastructure
• Application of on-site testing and structural health monitoring in service life prediction
• Determination of residual service life of existing structures
• Assessment of service life prolongation due to structure protection and repair
• Determination of the threshold values of durability performance indicators and the structure service life end
• State of the art reviews related to the above-mentioned topics.
