Bridge scour is the loss of soil by erosion due to water flowing around bridge supports. Scour has been the number one cause of bridge collapse in the United States with an average rate of 22 bridges collapsing each year. This dissertation addresses three topics related to bridge scour. First, three sets of databases are used to quantify the statistical parameters associated with the scatter between the predicted and measured scour depth as well as the probability that a deterministically predicted scour depth will be exceeded. The analysis results from these databases will also be used to provide the bias factors in the scour depth predictions in practice. In the second part of the dissertation, these statistical parameters are used to develop a reliability-based Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) for shallow and deep foundations subjected to scour. The goal is to provide a design procedure for the bridge foundations, where the reliability of the foundation is the same with or without scour. For shallow foundations, the key of the design issue is the location of the foundation depth and the probability that the scour depth will exceed the foundation depth. Therefore, for shallow foundations, the proposed LRFD calibration is based on the probability of exceedance of the predicted scour depth. However for deep foundations, the key of the design issue is the resistance factor associated with the axial capacity of a pile. Hence, the proposed LRFD calibration for deep foundations is based on a reliability analysis using First-Order Reliability Method (FORM). The dissertation is broadened in the third part by analyzing he risk associated with bridge scour, where the risk is defined as the probability of failure times the value of the consequences. In the third part, the risk associated with bridge scour is compared to risks associated with other engineering structures as well. Target values of acceptable risk are recommended as part of the conclusions. The outcome of the research will modify the current “AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications” developed by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and help the practitioners design foundations of bridges over rivers for a uniform probability of failure in the case of scour. The risk of bridge scour is also quantified in the dissertation, and compared with common societal risks and civil engineering risks. It will help engineers understand the risk level associated with bridge scour.

Load and resistance factor design (LRFD) (often called limit states design (LSD)) has been mandated in the AASHTO Bridge Design Specifications and will be adopted in future editions of Canadian Highway Bridge Design Code for all transportation-related structures including reinforced soil retaining walls. The ultimate objective of this thesis work was to carry out reliability-based analysis for load and resistance factor design calibration for rupture and pullout limit states for steel and geosynthetic reinforced soil walls under self-weight and permanent surcharge loading conditions. In order to meet this objective it was necessary to generate large databases of measured load and resistance data from many sources and in some cases to propose new design models that improve the accuracy of underlying deterministic load and resistance models. Numerical models were also developed to model reinforced soil wall performance. These models were used to investigate load prediction accuracy of current analytical reinforcement load models. An important feature of the calibration method adopted in this study is the use of bias statistics to account for prediction accuracy of the underlying deterministic models for load and resistance calculations, random variability in input parameter values, spatial variation and quality of data. In this thesis, bias is defined as the ratio of measured to predicted value. The most important end product of the work described in this thesis is tabulated resistance factors for rupture and pullout limit states for the internal stability of steel and geosynthetic reinforced soil walls. These factors are developed for geosynthetic reinforced soil wall design using the current AASHTO Simplified Method, a new modified Simplified Method, and the recently proposed K-Stiffness Method. Useful quantitative comparisons are made between these three methods by introducing the concept of computed operational factors of safety. This allows designers to quantify the actual margin of safety using different design approaches. The thesis format is paper-based. Ten of the chapters are comprised of journal papers that have been published (2), are in press (2), in review (3) and the remaining (3) to be submitted once the earlier background papers are accepted. / Thesis (Ph.D, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-01-28 18:07:22.284

This thesis presents the results of a mathematical analysis of various live load combinations on highway bridge spans up to 304.8 meters (1,000 feet) total lengths. The analysis included continuous beams, but only the results for simple beams is presented. The analysis was performed using an independently developed Microsoft EXCEL spreadsheet computation, based on superposition and classical mechanics. In this thesis, several actual bridge live loadings and several hypothetical live loadings were analyzed and compared to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Load and Resistance Factor Design method. Also considered was the new bridge design method adopted by the Louisiana Department of Transportation in March 2015. The evolution of bridge design loads is discussed, and the concept of the Military Load Classification is introduced and adapted to the bridge design analysis. The results of the analysis are presented, compared and interpreted for use in future bridge design.

In the present thesis, studies on the response of soil nail walls subjected to static and seismic conditions using finite element based numerical simulations and the principle of reliability analysis have been performed. The basic methodology constitutes the study of various aspects of soil nail walls such as analyses of important external, internal and facing failure modes, development of axial forces, and displacement observations by considering various typical and prototype cases. For better understanding and presentation, subject matter of the thesis is organised in the following ten chapters. Chapter 1 of the thesis provides an introduction to the soil nailing technique and highlights some of its applications, advantages, and limitations. Chapter 2 provides a detailed review of existing literature on the soil nailing technique. Chapter 3 provides a detailed overview the various methodologies adopted in the thesis for the analyses and response study of the soil nail walls. Chapter 4 deals with the important aspects related to the plane strain finite element based numerical simulations of soil nail walls. In particular, addresses the implications of the use of advanced soil models and the consideration of bending stiffness of soil nails on the overall response of the soil nail walls. Chapter 5 presents finite element simulations based appraisal of the conventional design methodology of soil nail walls, and studies the response of typical soil nail walls under static and seismic conditions. Chapter 6 presents a reliability based study of the important failure modes of soil nail walls subjected to the variability in in-situ soil parameters, and highlights the importance of reliability analysis in context of soil nail walls. Chapter 7 proposes load and resistance factor design (LRFD) methodology in context of soil nail walls, and highlights the need in advancement of the existing conventional design methodology for soil nail walls. Chapter 8 illustrates the use of factorial design of experiment methodology in developing regression models for stability criteria analysis of soil nail walls. Chapter 9 proposes methods for assessing the adequacy of field pullout tests performed in accordance with the prevalent soil nailing guidelines. Further, a reliability based methodology is proposed for the evaluation and various applications of field pullout tests results have been illustrated. Chapter 10 summarises the various studies reported in the thesis and provides a few important conclusions. It is believed that the various studies reported in the thesis contribute to the enhancement of the existing knowledge on soil nailing technique, advancement in the analysis and design methods, and in general, are useful to the soil nailing practice.