Analysis to Predict Long-Term Mechanical Performance of Steel Structures with Histories of Corrosion and Repair

Abstract

A structural analytical method is developed in order to evaluate the long-term mechanical performance of steel structures by taking into account the effects of the histories of corrosion loss of material and repair. This method is characterized by the point that the volume change in material due to corrosion or repair is adopted as a new controlling parameter along with the conventional parameters such as load and displacement. With this new parameter, the change of the stress and deformations of structures by the corrosion loss of material and past repair can be accurately predicted. By making use of the proposed method, we examine how the seismic behaviors of the repaired bridges are influenced by the difference of the repair methods.