Optimal budget allocation for bridge portfolios with element-level inspection data: a constrained integer linear programming formulation

Abstract

Existing bridge performance metrics are limited in their ability to objectively reflect the safety and serviceability of bridges and identify effective Maintenance, Repair and Replacement (MR&R) actions for a large number of bridges in the face of budget constraints. This study presents a comprehensive optimal budget allocation framework with an integer linear programing formulation for a portfolio of bridges based on element-level inspection data. Considering budget constraints, this method determines optimal MR&R actions at element-level such that agency and user costs of repair actions required to have bridges in their like-new state at the next budget allocation year are minimized. The framework incorporates structural safety risks via the probability that the designated structural functionality of a bridge is or deemed to be compromised. The approach is applied to 484 National Highway Systems bridges in district 3 of Ohio. Results indicate that the proposed method can identify work plans comprising the optimal set of MR&R actions that maximize the network-level performance of bridge portfolios, while satisfying budgetary constraints. It is observed that this method consistently assigns higher priority to work plans that reduce structural safety risks of bridges, and to bridges with high traffic demands and long detour lengths.

Keywords:

• Bridge performance index
• bridge portfolio
• element-level repair action
• inspection data
• integer linear programing
• Optimal budget allocation

Acknowledgements

This research is supported by the Ohio Department of Transportation through Grant 135240. This support is greatly appreciated. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the sponsor. The authors would like to also thank Brad Noll, Jared Backs, Amjad Waheed, Mike Brokaw, Cynthia Jones, Shane Deer, and Tim Keller from the Ohio Department of Transportation for providing valuable practical insights and effective coordination of this research project, and Chi Zhang, Graduate PhD student at the Ohio State University for his notable feedback and revisions on this article. Additionally, authors are grateful for valuable evaluations of district 3 engineers, especially Marlin Wengerd, on the results of the proposed framework.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).