Abstract
A systematic methodology for condition assessment of the historic road bridges was needed because of the poor and inadequate condition of bridges which cannot satisfy everyday-day dynamic loads and deteriorations due to the aging process. Thus in this study, a new expert system based on the knowledge approach has been proposed to develop a systematic procedure for condition assessment of these bridges using fuzzy logic and sets of α-cuts. Each bridge is divided into three components: superstructure, substructure, and equipment, and each component is divided into relevant elements. These elements are evaluated by an expert and their ratings are fuzzified according to defined fuzzy sets, their membership functions, and linguistic values. Furthermore, fuzzy structural importance is given to ratings of each element. Combinations of these two values are calculated to obtain a fuzzy rating of the component using the Fuzzy Weighted Geometric Mean (FWGM). Finally, for the defuzzification of the component rating, the centroid method is proposed. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used for comparison of the components. The bridge condition rating is achieved by summering all the components ratings multiplied by their relative importance, and it is presented as a value of the Historic Road Bridge Condition Assessment Index (HRBCAI). The validation is conducted on the bridges built until the end of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia.
Highlights
Road infrastructure is one of the main social resources that contains specific characteristics and whose planning should be approached in a special way
To rank historic road bridges according to the priority for reconstruction activity, it is necessary to determine the condition of the bridges at the time of inspection, which examines the mechanical stability and resistance, and safety for vehicles and pedestrians
Given the complexity of the overall problems of assessing the condition of historic road bridges, a systematic analysis was performed, which resulted in the development of an expert system
Summary
Road infrastructure is one of the main social resources that contains specific characteristics and whose planning should be approached in a special way. The key components of road infrastructure are road bridges which, due to their function of connecting roads and their strategic position, require special attention. Of particular importance is a systematic assessment of bridges as an essential activity of monitoring and managing the transport system [1]. The degradation of bridges mainly begins with processes whose action is manifested only in an advanced stage, phenomena visible on the surface of the building [2]. Following the limited resources for the management, maintenance and reconstruction of bridges, certain strategies must be defined. On the other hand, any carelessness and delayed actions of maintaining bridges can lead to large future costs or significant degradation of the building [4]
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