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Reliability analysis of post-tensioned concrete bridges using inspection-based modelling of grout injection voids

Celati, Simone LU orcid ; Mattei, Francesca ; Salvatore, Walter and Thöns, Sebastian LU (2026) In Structure and Infrastructure Engineering
Abstract

Corrosion of prestressing steel in post-tensioned (PT) cables is a critical issue in prestressed concrete bridges, often leading to brittle and unexpected failures. This deterioration is primarily attributed to construction flaws such as inadequate grout injection and the use of poor-quality mortar. This paper presents a probabilistic model for estimating the number and spatial distribution of grout defects in PT girders, developed using inspection data from a large sample of existing bridges in Italy. The model is integrated into a spatial and time-dependent system reliability framework to assess the remaining technical service life of PT structures. Application of the proposed method to a representative PT bridge deck shows that... (More)

Corrosion of prestressing steel in post-tensioned (PT) cables is a critical issue in prestressed concrete bridges, often leading to brittle and unexpected failures. This deterioration is primarily attributed to construction flaws such as inadequate grout injection and the use of poor-quality mortar. This paper presents a probabilistic model for estimating the number and spatial distribution of grout defects in PT girders, developed using inspection data from a large sample of existing bridges in Italy. The model is integrated into a spatial and time-dependent system reliability framework to assess the remaining technical service life of PT structures. Application of the proposed method to a representative PT bridge deck shows that conventional reliability analyses, which often assume worst-case defect placement, may be overly conservative. In contrast, the developed approach, which accounts for spatial randomness in defect location and time-dependent degradation, can lead to significantly extended service life estimates (∼30%).

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
Hidden defects, inspection campaign, post-tensioned bridges, probabilistic modelling, structural reliability, system reliability, tendon corrosion, time dependency
in
Structure and Infrastructure Engineering
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:105035870469
ISSN
1573-2479
DOI
10.1080/15732479.2026.2651979
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2026 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
id
edee822d-0459-4837-8cf1-c1973907c245
date added to LUP
2026-05-01 10:07:48
date last changed
2026-05-04 15:58:06
@article{edee822d-0459-4837-8cf1-c1973907c245,
  abstract     = {{<p>Corrosion of prestressing steel in post-tensioned (PT) cables is a critical issue in prestressed concrete bridges, often leading to brittle and unexpected failures. This deterioration is primarily attributed to construction flaws such as inadequate grout injection and the use of poor-quality mortar. This paper presents a probabilistic model for estimating the number and spatial distribution of grout defects in PT girders, developed using inspection data from a large sample of existing bridges in Italy. The model is integrated into a spatial and time-dependent system reliability framework to assess the remaining technical service life of PT structures. Application of the proposed method to a representative PT bridge deck shows that conventional reliability analyses, which often assume worst-case defect placement, may be overly conservative. In contrast, the developed approach, which accounts for spatial randomness in defect location and time-dependent degradation, can lead to significantly extended service life estimates (∼30%).</p>}},
  author       = {{Celati, Simone and Mattei, Francesca and Salvatore, Walter and Thöns, Sebastian}},
  issn         = {{1573-2479}},
  keywords     = {{Hidden defects; inspection campaign; post-tensioned bridges; probabilistic modelling; structural reliability; system reliability; tendon corrosion; time dependency}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Structure and Infrastructure Engineering}},
  title        = {{Reliability analysis of post-tensioned concrete bridges using inspection-based modelling of grout injection voids}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15732479.2026.2651979}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/15732479.2026.2651979}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}