Abstract:Aiming at the quantification problem of decision-making on the maintenance timing of flexible tie rods for in-service bowstring arch bridges in China, a time-variant resistance model considering the concrete resistance degradation is constructed according to the time-variant reliability theory. And an improved PNET (probabilistic network) method is proposed to quantify the failure correlation of multiple components, resolving the overestimation of system reliability by the traditional JC method (first-order second-moment method). Furthermore, a method for determining the maintenance threshold of flexible tie rods is further proposed to quantify the timing of maintenance decisions, which provides a scientific basis for the preventive maintenance of similar bridges.