Structural reliability analysis of spillway gates

Concerns regarding the deterioration and the need to rehabilitate several of the major components of aging concrete dams in southern Quebec are discussed. Most of the dams were built before 1960 and are reaching their design life. This paper described an analytical procedure for determining if spillway gates need to be replaced or how much longer they can be expected to last. The procedure is based on reliability analysis and incorporates a model to predict the rate of corrosion of the gates. The procedure accounts for the variability in loads, deterioration processes and the geometrical and mechanical properties of the gates. Bayesian statistics are included to allow the model to be adjusted as new data becomes available. 16 refs., 2 tabs., 7 figs