ABSTRACT
A robust validation of life-cycle reliability analyses and residual capacity assessment procedures is a difficult task to be performed due to limited availability of data of existing deteriorating bridges. This paper deals with computational modeling and experimental validation of nonlinear finite element analysis of deteriorating prestressed concrete (PC) structures. The structural modeling is developed with different levels of complexity and computational cost using a PC beam finite element model accounting for material nonlinearities and a bi-dimensional finite element model for plane stress analysis formulated in accordance with the Modified Compression Field Theory. The finite element approaches and the modeling strategies are validated based on the results of full-scale load tests up to collapse collected from the BRIDGE|50 research project aimed at investigating the residual structural capacity of 50-year-old PC bridge deck beams under different loading and damage scenarios.
