Infrastructure like concrete bridges need to be assessed periodically for a satisfactory performance during their lifetime. Governments and infrastructure owners around the world face many challenges with such assessments because concrete structures which are designed for a certain load and reference period using a certain code, have to be re-evaluated for structural safety considering changes in and around the structure. These changes may arise in traffic flow, the magnitude and frequency of the axle loads, environmental impacts or damage like cracks and corrosion, all of which influence the residual load carrying capacity. Accounting for these changes solely based of codes may not always be a straightforward task. DIANA FEA BV[1], has made an application for the Dutch ministry of infrastructure and water management (RWS), to assess a large amount of reinforced concrete bridge structures in an automated way and with limited man-hour impact. The paper briefly describes important aspects of the automated workflow.
