Risk-Cost Optimized Maintenance Strategy for Steel Bridge Subjected to Deterioration

This paper aims to develop a deteriorated bridge maintenance strategy that ensures the safe operation of steel structures and minimizes the total risk. Five common failure modes are considered for the deteriorated bridge: flexure, shear, deflection, fatigue failure for girder, and chloride attack for the concrete deck. Time-dependent and system reliability analyses are carried out to find the probability of failure under these failure modes. Risk-cost optimization is then used to determine the maintenance strategy. This method was applied to a working example. It was found that the developed maintenance strategy can predict when, where, and what to maintain for a bridge to ensure its safe and serviceable operation during its lifespan. The proposed methodology can help structural engineers and asset managers repair and maintain bridges under deterioration.

Automated summary

This paper aims to develop a deteriorated bridge maintenance strategy that ensures the safe operation of steel structures and minimizes the total risk. Five common failure modes are considered and analyzed to determine the probability of failure. Risk-cost optimization is used to determine the maintenance strategy, and the effectiveness of the proposed methodology is validated through a working example.