Performance Life Cost-Based Maintenance Strategy Optimization for Reinforced Concrete Girder Bridges

This paper presents a maintenance strategy optimization method for RC girder bridges by considering the performance indicators, service life and life cycle maintenance cost, as criteria. The condition and reliability indices are defined as performance indicators. The deteriorated processes of performance indicators with and without maintenance actions are described as multilinear models. The life cycle maintenance planning optimization of deteriorating bridges is formulated as a multiobjective problem to be solved by an improved nondominated sorting genetic algorithm with controlled elitism. The condition index, reliability index, service life, and life cycle maintenance cost of the bridge are considered as four separate objective functions. A simply supported RC girder bridge is analyzed as an application example to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed procedure. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)BE. 1943-5592.0000344. (C) 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers.