Development of a two-stage inspection process for the assessment of deteriorating infrastructure

Emma Sheils,Alan O’Connor,Denys Breysse,Franck Schoefs,Sylvie Yotte

doi:10.1016/j.ress.2009.09.008

Emma Sheils, Alan O’Connor + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ress.2009.09.008

Copy DOI

Abstract

Inspection-based maintenance strategies can provide an efficient tool for the management of ageing infrastructure subjected to deterioration. Many of these methods rely on quantitative data from inspections, rather than qualitative and subjective data. The focus of this paper is on the development of an inspection-based decision scheme, incorporating analysis on the effect of the cost and quality of NDT tools to assess the condition of infrastructure elements/networks during their lifetime. For the first time the two aspects of an inspection are considered, i.e. detection and sizing. Since each stage of an inspection is carried out for a distinct purpose, different parameters are used to represent each procedure and both have been incorporated into a maintenance management model. The separation of these procedures allows the interaction between the two inspection techniques to be studied. The inspection for detection process acts as a screening exercise to determine which defects require further inspection for sizing. A decision tool is developed that allows the owner/manager of the infrastructural element/network to choose the most cost-efficient maintenance management plan based on his/her specific requirements.

Highlights

Due to the extent of deteriorating infrastructure in the US, the estimated cost of rehabilitation and repair has been estimated at $1.3 trillion [1]. ‘‘The federally mandated biennial inspection interval is not the most cost-effective maintenance strategy for bridges [2], and bridge repairs are not always performed with lifecycle cost effectiveness in mind’’ [1]
The main focus of this paper is on the development of an inspection-based decision scheme, incorporating analysis of the effect of cost and quality of NDT tools to assess the condition of infrastructure elements/networks over their lifetime
This paper presents infrastructure owners/managers with a decision tool based on the subdivision of the assessment process into two phases: (i) detection and (ii) sizing, which can be used in optimal management of infrastructural elements/networks to minimise the probability of failure within budgetary constraints

Summary

Introduction

Due to the extent of deteriorating infrastructure in the US (about 5000 bridges become classed as deficient each year), the estimated cost of rehabilitation and repair has been estimated at $1.3 trillion [1]. ‘‘The federally mandated biennial inspection interval is not the most cost-effective maintenance strategy for bridges [2], and bridge repairs are not always performed with lifecycle cost effectiveness in mind’’ [1]. The main objective is to find the optimal maintenance management plan, thereby optimising the life-cycle cost of the structure. Many of these methods rely on quantitative data from inspections, rather than qualitative and subjective data. Since each stage of an inspection is carried out for a distinct purpose, different parameters are used to represent each procedure and both have been incorporated into a maintenance management model By separating these two procedures, an optimal maintenance management plan can be developed by choosing the most suitable inspection technique for each stage of the inspection, whether it is for detection or sizing, rather than using the same inspection technique for both procedures

Objectives

Results

Conclusion