Abstract
The sustainability of structures during their construction and service life has become a widespread topic of interest. To ensure the sustainability of bridges, maintenance databases can be analyzed to determine the status changes and required maintenance of existing bridges. The results of this analysis can then be used to predict the environmental impacts and costs incurred during ongoing maintenance of new bridges to prepare accordingly for the future. To prepare for future events, this study utilizes the US National Bridge Inventory to analyze changes in the condition rating of bridge decks and substructures according to their service years, and suggests maintenance scenarios for the service life of bridge deck and substructure concrete by investigating the maintenance activities according to service years. The factors for applying the scenarios in Korea and conceptual equations for life cycle studies which apply the scenarios are discussed for further study in the life cycle assessment field of bridges.
Highlights
To ensure the sustainability of a structure over its entire life cycle, it is important to estimate the cost and environmental impacts due to construction, and those due to operation and maintenance during its service life
The maintenance activities considered in most life cycle assessment (LCA) studies are still limited, as they do not take into consideration the deterioration of the structural parts such as concrete structures
The maintenance activities which are applied in previous studies on bridge life cycle are mostly focused on subsidiary materials
Summary
To ensure the sustainability of a structure over its entire life cycle, it is important to estimate the cost and environmental impacts due to construction, and those due to operation and maintenance during its service life. A structure requires energy to operate during its service life, including the various materials and energy used for maintenance. The maintenance activities considered in most life cycle assessment (LCA) studies are still limited, as they do not take into consideration the deterioration of the structural parts such as concrete structures. The concrete structures in bridges undergo phenomena such as spalling and cracking during deterioration. Because these structures are of primary importance, the maintenance activities they require should be considered for more appropriate life cycle studies.
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