Development of a Survival Based Framework for Bridge Deterioration Modeling with Large-Scale Application to the North Carolina Bridge Management System

Аннотация

This dissertation presents the development and implementation of a comprehensive automated software framework for probabilistic bridge deterioration modeling that takes into account the time dependent nature of deterioration as well as the impact of various functional, design, and geographic factors on the deterioration rate. Deterioration models are a critical component of the bridge management systems (BMS) used by transportation departments to optimize the allocation of increasingly constrained resources for maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation (MR&R). Since deterioration models are used to predict the MR&R needs at both the bridge and the network levels, the effectiveness of BMS-driven investment decisions related to the repair and preservation of bridge components and, consequently the economy of bridge management actions and safety assurance of the traveling public, is directly affected y the accuracy of the bridge deterioration models.