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Sponsored by ASCE Continuing Education and the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI).
INSTRUCTOR: Adam Matteo, P.E.
Purpose and Background
Life cycle analysis is one of the cornerstones of a good bridge management program. Bridges deteriorate over decades rather than years, so it is important for engineers to understand not only the initial costs of any intervention, but the long-term costs (and benefits) as well.
Bridge management systems have been available for decades, but with a few exceptions they have not been broadly employed by bridge engineers. With the adoption of MAP-21, states are required to employ bridge management systems to appropriately manage their inventories. A basic understanding of life cycle analysis is vital for any engineer who wishes to effectively use a bridge management system.
The use of bridge management systems is not only a legal requirement, but it is a practical necessity for proper stewardship of public funds. Bridge inventories vary greatly in size, but many states have inventories in the thousands, and many cities may have hundreds of structures. The aggregate value of these assets can be in the billions of dollars. Numerical life cycle analysis is required to make the most informed and rational decisions.
Bridge owners often are blessed and burdened with a plethora of data with which to make decisions. The challenge for owners and engineers is to use the appropriate amount of available data to make decisions that can be readily traced back to solid logic. This webinar provides guidance for using other bridge data in determining which bridges to work on and when. This webinar also provides a practical approach to using life cycle analysis in bridge management and bridge design.
Primary Discussion Topics
- Approaching life cycle management of bridges (basics)
- Parameters to include in the decisions
- Crunching the numbers (using basic, easily understood formulas)
- Other parameters in bridge management (which structures should be worked on)
Learning Outcomes
- Learn the basics of life cycle management for bridges
- Equip engineers with basis for decision-making for bridge maintenance interventions
- Equip engineers with methodology for determining when an increase in an initial investment will be a good long-term economic decision
- Understand which data are important and which are not for employing life-cycle analysis
Webinar Benefits
- Use life-cycle analysis in managing a bridge inventory
- Determine how to make cost-effective decisions in the design of new structures to maximize the value of the investment
- Understand the importance of simplicity in the analysis
- Learn what formulas are used in making decisions
- Determine how to select appropriate bridge maintenance interventions
Intended Audience
- Bridge engineers
- City and state officials with responsibility for bridge maintenance
- Maintenance engineers
- Bridge owners
Webinar Outline
- Approaching life cycle management of bridges (basics)
- New and replacement bridges
- Maintenance and rehabilitation of existing bridges
- Parameters to include in the decisions
- Valuation of the assets (current, post-construction, future)
- Deterioration rates
- Maintenance costs
- Effects on users (user costs)
- Discount rates
- Crunching the numbers - using basic, easily understood formulas
- Other parameters in bridge management (which structures should be worked on)
- Importance (highway system, traffic, commerce, criticality, detours)
- Functionality (load-posting, vertical and horizontal clearances, traffic capacity versus need, safety)
- Risk (seismic, scour, redundancy)
- Condition