Design and maintenance programme optimization for large infrastructure systems

The design, construction and operation of civil infrastructure systems in modern society has become a critical issue worldwide. These processes cannot be restricted to solving just the mechanical problem. On the contrary, they should be designed within a framework that considers their life cycle, taking into account all costs in which the owner (or operator) will incur during the lifetime of the structure, and the benefits derived from its existence. This paper presents a strategy for optimizing the maintenance of technical facilities based on their life cycle within which deterioration and sudden failure due to extreme events may occur. A renewal model for the sequence of structural failures is used to define the objective function. The proposed model is useful for defining both an optimal maintenance policy (number of interventions and the time between them) and the design parameters. It can also be used for investment, planning and operation of new and existing facilities. The results have shown that a rational programme for maintenance and structural updating is essential for defining the efficiency of the investment in infrastructure projects.