A Reliability-based Methodology for Considering Corrosion Effects on Fatigue Deterioration in Steel Bridges - Part I: Methodology

It is known that the effects of corrosion on fatigue originate from two major sources: stress concentration due to corrosion discontinuities (CNF factor) and stress amplification due to loosing net section (NAF factor). In order to account for these effects, a performance function is developed which takes CNF and NAF factors into account and considers both random and time-dependent nature of the involved parameters. In order to consider real fatigue and environmental conditions, the available CNF-y and y-t functions are extended employing alpha and phi factors, respectively. In addition, some recommendations have been made to establish corrosion pattern of different steel sections. The final output of the methodology is development of a reliability-based procedure to establish time-dependent deterioration profile of a structural member, which assists in decision-making with regard,to maintenance activities. The proposed methodology has been applied to Neka Bridge, a railway bridge in northern Iran, which is presented in Part II.