Function-Based Condition Indexing for Embankment Dams

Abstract

The authors of this paper propose a total-systems approach for the development of condition-indexing systems for aging civil engineering facilities, formalizing the required decision-making process. An application for embankment dams is considered. A condition-indexing system is a gauge to measure the physical state of a facility based on several criteria for prioritization of repair, evaluation, maintenance, and rehabilitation (REMR) expenditures among many similar systems. The proposed procedure will generate the essential elements of a condition-indexing system and includes the identification of specific objectives for REMR activities, the consideration of complex interactions between subunits of the facility, and the identification of critical system components. A condition-index vector is developed by examining the subunits of the facility repeatedly for the multiple REMR objectives. This vector can be converted into a scalar by applying weighting functions that define the relative importance of each REMR objective.