Reliability-based Life Cycle Cost Analysis for Optimal Seismic Upgrading of Bridges

Abstract

This study is intended to propose a systematic approach for reliablity-based assessment of life cycle cost (LCC) effectiveness and economic efficiency for cost-effective seismic upgrading of existing bridges. The LCC function is expressed as the sum of the upgrading cost and all the disconuted life cycle damage costs, which is formulated as a function of the Park-Ang damage index anf strctural damage probability. The damage costs are expressed in terms of direct damage costs such as repair/replacement costs, human losses anf property damage costs, and indirect damage costs such as road user costs anf indirect regional economic losses. for dealing with a variety of uncertainties associated with earthquake loads and capacities, a simulation-based reliability approach is used. The SMART-DRAIN-2DX, which is a modified version of the well-known DRAIN-2DX, is extended by incorporating LCC analysis based on the LCC function developed in the study. Economic effciencies for optimal seismic upgradings of the continuous PC segmental bridges are assessed using the proposed LCC functions and benefit-cost ratio.