Issues of application of modern regulatory documents for the calculation of transportation structures

About 400 normative documents were developed in the field of transportation construction, but the correctness and relevance of some of them is questionable. The lack of a unified terminology, the presence of contradictions and the increasing volume of documentation significantly complicate its use. In addition to general disadvantages, there are a number of private problems. For example, the authors point out the incorrect use of the limit states methodology for the calculation of structures, since this methodology considers limit (extreme) loads, and the regularities of the real behavior of the structure at lower levels of loads are unknown. In addition, the calculation according to limit states methodology does not take into account durability (it is not defined). When calculating using this methodology for the action of only loads with other unknown operating influences, the limit state is realized by reaching a certain limit value by this load. In reality, the limit state may occur due to changes in the shape of the structure, dimensions of cross-sections of structural elements and, more often, due to degradation of its material properties under the influence of service conditions. For the calculation of structures, it is necessary to apply the deformation approach more widely. According to it, both strength and deformation problems of structural calculation are correctly interrelated, and their hypotheses do not conflict with each other.

regulatory documentation, limit state, deformation approach, consideration of exposure to corrosive environments, durability