Reliability analysis of prestressed concrete bridges under prevailing truck traffic in Pakistan
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This paper presents a comprehensive reliability assessment of prestressed concrete bridges in Pakistan subjected to prevailing truck traffic conditions. The study compares actual load effects from weigh-in-motion (WIM) data with design specifications from the Pakistan Highway Bridge (PHB) Code (1967) and AASHTO LRFD. Statistical analysis of axle weights, configurations, and gross vehicle weights (GVW) reveals that 72.7% of trucks exceed legal load limits, with 5-axle trucks showing 97% non-compliance. Reliability analysis using First-Order Second Moment (FOSM) methods indicates that existing bridge designs exhibit significant variations in safety margins, with reliability indices (b) ranging from 2.51 (Chitral Bridge) to 5.6 (Bannu Road Bridge). The results demonstrate that current design codes do not accurately represent Pakistan's truck traffic, leading to potential overstressing or underutilization of bridges. The study recommends revising live load models based on empirical traffic data and implementing stricter enforcement of weight regulations to enhance bridge safety and longevity.
DOI: 10.5937/grmk2500005s
Authors: Hamza Shams, Yanjun Qiu, Muhammad Kashif, Hanif Ullah, Hamid Abdrhman, Jianfeng Fu, Enhui Yang
Language: English
Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
Award: G1991787891
OpenAlex ID: W4411187710