LCC Applications for Bridges and Integration with BMS

Abstract: Bridges are vital links in many transport networks and represent a big capital investment for both governments and taxpayers. They have to be managed in a way that ensures society's needs are optimally met. In many countries, bridges are mainly managed using bridge management systems (BMSs). Although many BMSs contain some forms of life-cycle costing (LCC), the use of LCC in bridge engineering is scarce. LCC in many BMSs has mainly been applied within the bridge operation phase, even though it has several useful applications within the bridge entire life, from cradle to grave. This licentiate thesis discusses the need of a BMS with integrated comprehensive LCC tools that can assist decision-makers at all levels and within all phases in selecting the most cost-effective alternative from an array of applicable alternatives.The thesis introduces the Swedish Bridge and Tunnel Management System (BaTMan). Acomprehensive integrated LCC implementation scheme is illustrated, taking into account the bridge investment and management process in Sweden. The basic LCC analytical tools as well as other helpful LCC techniques are addressed. Detailed case studies for real bridges at different investment phases are presented to demonstrate the recent improvement of BaTMan practically in the LCC integration. Cost records for 2,508 bridges extracted from BaTMan inventory data are used as input data in the presented case studies. Considering the same records, the average real and anticipated initial costs of different bridge types in Sweden will schematically be presented.The thesis introduces a bridge LCC program developed over this research named "BaTMan-LCC". The reason for which this program was developed is to combine all possible LCC applications for bridges in one tool and facilitate its implementation. The sensitivity analysis as well as the LCC saving potential highlighted in the presented case studies emphasizes the feasibility and the possibility of developing BaTMan to accommodate the applications of BaTMan-LCC.