Probabilistic based Optimization of Maintenance Actions for Deteriorating RC Bridges

Abstract:

A novelmaintenanceoptimization approach under uncertainty is proposed for deteriorating reinforced concrete (RC) bridges.The component reliability is used as performance indicator and the structure performance is modeled by using lifetime function.Firstly,the lifetime function is fitted by using a group of pointintime component reliabilities evaluated by Monte Carlo simulations,associated with Latin hypercube sampling and the computer program CBDAS.Secondly,models that reflect the effects of maintenance types on the lifetime functions are presented.Finally,a novel approach for optimization of maintenance is proposed.The original optimization problem is firstly divided into a set of suboptimization problems based on possible maintenance scenarios.Then the optimal solutions of each suboptimization problem are sought in terms of genetic algorithm.Thus,the best solution with respect to any specified condition can be found out by comparing the optimal solutions of the suboptimization problems.The optimization approach is applied to a threespan RC bridge in Shanghai.