Element and System Risk Considerations in Highway Bridge Assessment

Analysis of element and system failure probabilities has recently been emphasized in the area of highway bridge assessment. However, little attention has been paid to the financial consequences of failures when performing such analyses. This paper summarizes the methods used for calculating the bridge element and system reliabilities, focusing on evaluation of corresponding failure consequences. Results of reliability analysis and evaluation of failure consequences obtained are used to study the element and system risks. Based on the results for element and system risks, a method is proposed for the modification of the target reliability index that accounts for the system effects, for use in highway bridge assessment.