A study on the POD curve and initial crack size of steel truss bridge

Full-scale Tests of steel truss bridge components are made to study the effect of paint, the inspectors and testing process on the results of fatigue crack detection, for the uncertainty and omission existing in measured flaw size. The POD (probability of detection) curve is provided for the flaw detection in steel-truss bridges, the reliability model obtaining initial flaw size is established, which takes the POD curve and inspection deviations into account, and the formula provided can be used to evaluate the initial flaw size when predicting the residual life of steel truss bridge applying damage tolerance method.