Abstract：Combining the advantages of response surface method(RSM), finite element method (FEM), β-unzipping method and product of conditional marginal method(PCM), an approximate method was proposed to rapidly evaluate the reliability of bridge structure system. The component reliability indices were calculated by FEM and RSM, while the β-unzipping method and PCM method were employed to calculate critical failure modes and system failure probability. The structure system reliability of cable-stayed Sutong Bridge with a main span length of 1 088 m was conducted by the proposed approximate method. The obtained results clearly show the applicability and merits of the proposed method in the identification of critical failures modes, and the reliability indices for hybrid system are slightly larger than those for series system. The proposed method provides convenience for the system reliability evaluation of other bridge structures.
2011, Vol. 32 
