Tuozzo, Federico (2025) Structural assessment of RC viaducts and innovative sustainable solutions. [Tesi di dottorato]

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Abstract

Bridges and viaducts are strategic infrastructures, nevertheless much of the existing stock was designed under outdated codes and now exhibits deterioration and structural vulnerabilities. Assessing their safety requires integrated analyses that capture both global system response and local behavior of critical components. This thesis adopts a multi-scale approach. At the global level, nonlinear finite elements (FE) models of real viaducts were developed and subjected to dynamic analyses to estimate seismic capacity across limit states. At the local level, attention was devoted to Gerber saddles and piers: advanced FE models of saddles were calibrated against experiments, while corrosion scenarios were implemented for piers. Results highlight how degradation progressively reduces strength and ductility, significantly affecting overall bridge performance. In parallel, the applicability of the Italian Guidelines for bridge assessment was tested, revealing both strengths and shortcomings for complex details, and leading to a dedicated proposal for Gerber saddles. Finally, the study explored the use of composite reinforcement in new reinforced concrete (RC) structures (GFRP – Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer - bars and steel–GFRP hybrids). While GFRP reinforcement eliminates corrosion issues, its limited ductility poses seismic challenges; hence, innovative design strategies were proposed and validated through numerical studies and case applications. The thesis provides original contributions to both the assessment of existing bridges and the design of new structures, offering calibrated degradation models and resilient, sustainable reinforcement solutions.

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