Time-dependent prediction of the bending moment capacity of a corroding prestressed concrete bridge girder subjected to chloride ingress

A large amount of existing concrete bridges has reached or soon will reach the end of their intended lifetime, requiring decisions regarding a possible lifetime extension. Based on a detailed calculation of the structural capacity, the time-dependent safety of the structure can be assessed, which can be used as performance indicator in the decision-making. This work shows a detailed methodology which combines the prediction of chloride ingress and consecutive corrosion propagation to predict the corrosion level over time with a structural assessment of the corroding structure. The methodology is applied to a real case study of a corroding prestressed concrete bride girder. It is shown that the critical section for bending failure changes due to the corrosion process and is not necessarily located at midspan.