In most state-of-the-art Bridge Management Systems, structural condition is predicted by a homogeneous Markov chain model that uses condition ratings assigned during visual inspections. Although generally accepted, such an approach exhibits certain shortcomings, one of which is not considering the nature of actual physical phenomena that cause deterioration. To overcome this shortcoming, this article presents a framework that combines both information on condition ratings through the semi-Markov process and knowledge of bridge properties using analytical deterioration models. In this manner, and contrary to current practice, not only are the results of visual inspection taken into account, but also information such as environmental loading, as well as material and structural properties. The presented framework was implemented in the case study bridge, in which the deterioration caused by carbonation-induced corrosion was studied. Along with the implementation in the case study, the article contained a detailed overview of the subject of carbonation-induced corrosion and emphasized issues that require additional research in order to develop the framework into a comprehensive and fully applicable tool for condition prediction. Accounting for its adaptability to other material types and deterioration processes and its consideration of the historic deterioration path, the framework presents a suitable alternative to frameworks presently implemented for condition prediction.

In the past few years, there has been an increasing societal and industrial demand for the reliable assessment and design of structural systems with service-life criteria of at least several decades. The life cycle characterisation of engineering structures in terms of an anticipated service life remains a significant aspect of sustainability in the construction industry. This requires special attention to the definition of structural performance under various actions, and to the implemented engineering materials and methods as well as to the inverse identification and monitoring of structural conditions. Subsequently, the focus remains on the development of a holistic performance-based design approach for new and existing structures and infrastructures. This paper presents the fundamental reliability concepts of performance-based design, with a focus on lifetime assessment. Case studies from actual structural components’ design are used to verify the proposed methodology and indicate the significance of quality assurance in the lifetime assessment of engineering structures. We also confirmed that reliability and quality assurance criteria are strongly connected. Therefore, a methodology for quality-based service life assessment is presented and elaborated in the case studies.

Degradation processes affecting structural materials, such as chloride ion ingress, concrete carbonation, and the subsequent corrosion of reinforcement, are limiting factors for the service life of reinforced concrete structures and/or structural elements. The objective of a structural condition assessment is to determine the current state and estimate the future performance of a structure with a maximum degree of accuracy and a minimum of effort. There is therefore a need for advanced methodologies and predictive deterioration models for the assessment of structures/structural elements over time. In the paper, the focus is on the widely accepted models for modeling of chloride ion ingress into concrete and concrete carbonation process incorporated in the fib Model Code 2010. Three levels of assessment of input parameters are presented, starting with simple quantification based on codes/literature recommendations and progressing to higher levels of assessment using design documentation and visual inspection data, additional on‐site measurements, and/or laboratory tests.

The corrosion of reinforcement caused by chloride ingress significantly reduces the length of the service life of reinforced concrete bridges. Therefore, the condition of bridges is periodically inspected by specially trained engineers regarding the possible occurrence of reinforcement corrosion. Their main goal is to ensure that the structure can resist mechanical and environmental loads and offer a satisfactory level of safety and serviceability. In the course of assessment, measuring the chloride content, through which corrosion could be anticipated and prevented, presents a possible alternative to visual inspections and corrosion tests that can only indicate already existing corrosion. It is hard to determine the cost-effectiveness and actual value of chloride content measurements in a simple and straightforward way. Thus, the main aim of the paper was to study the value of newly gained information, which is obtained when a chloride content in reinforced concrete bridges is measured. This value was here analyzed through the pre-posterior analysis of the cost of measurement and repair, taking into account different types of exposure and material properties for a general case. The research focus was set on the initiation phase in which there are no visible damages. A relative comparison of costs is presented, where the cost of possible reactive/proactive repair was compared with the maximum cost of measurement, while the measurement is still cost effective. The analysis showed a high influence of the initial probability of depassivation on the maximum cost of the cost-effective measurement, as well as a nonreciprocal relation of the minimum cost of cost-effective reactive repair with the measurement accuracy.

The lifecycle analysis and assessment of concrete structures requires an efficient evaluation and prediction of time-variable mechanical and chemical degradation processes. Inspection systems and novel monitoring methods are of valuable support in these important tasks, but due to their practical feasibility and the costs that they entail, they also present limitations. Therefore, information gathered with inspection methods for structural performance assessment needs to be used in the most effective manner possible, e.g., with respect to serviceability limits, bearing capacity, robustness, and redundancy of a given structure, among others. The aim of this paper is to present a framework for the prediction of time-dependent performance indicators of concrete structures prone to fatigue, with emphasis on a wind turbine foundation, including reliability. A theoretical background and selected structural performance indicators as well as associated lifecycle prediction methods—incorporating inspection...