Title:
The 4th Dimension: Life Cycle Assessment of Critical Structures
Author(s):
Parker
Publication:
Web Session
Volume:
Issue:
Appears on pages(s):
Keywords:
DOI:
Date:
10/17/2021
Abstract:
The infrastructure in the United States is aging and, whether publicly or privately owned, significant resources are required to repair, replace, or modernize it. The most attractive option is preservation and continued use - this is especially true for power generating utilities where structures are revenue producing assets and replacement, decommissioning and remediation costs are prohibitive – and failure of these structures could have more significant consequences beyond lost revenue, including loss of life. Associated with these efforts, owners need to identify structures with high risk-of-failure consequences and find the most cost-effective solutions for rehabilitation. All infrastructure, both new and existing, is susceptible to degradation that comes with aging. These real-world factors can lead to some structures failing prematurely and others lasting well beyond their original design life. Life cycle structural health monitoring is important to track changes in a structure that occur during a structures service life and serves to help identify structural vulnerabilities. Monitoring can be performed through either intrusive or non-destructive examination techniques and either continuous or periodic instrumentation monitoring. During the design phase, large infrastructure projects are designed for a variety of expected loads. Seldom is the cumulative impact of transient loading scenarios considered when estimating the expected service life of the structure. This paper will discuss incorporating transient demands placed on a structure that were either not considered or are larger than originally anticipated in combination with the expected stress range that occurs in structural components during the original design phase.