Bridge Maintenance Life Cycle Cost Assessment

Abstract

Cost/benefit assessment of bridge maintenance strategies is possible if related expenditures can be correctly evaluated over an appropriate life cycle and if they produce a known effect on structural performance. The proposed method evolves from the inspection records of New York City bridges and their components. Actual and recommended annual expenditures are examined. "Full maintenance" is defined in terms of fifteen distinct maintenance tasks with known costs. The corresponding benefits are expressed in terms of bridge life extension. Alternative maintenance strategies are compared with and without discounting, pointing to a distinction between structurally and economically admissible ones. Conclusions are drawn regarding the implications of the Present Worth Method (PWM).