Incorporating Life-Cycle Costs in Highway-Bridge Planning and Design

Abstract

Life-cycle cost analysis has been stressed by various state departments of transportation and applied to a highway bridge-management system (BMS) as a decision-making strategy in maintenance, rehabilitation, or replacement (MR & R). In essence, life-cycle cost analysis is based on the concept of discounted cash-flow analysis. A brief review of related current methods in the area of life-cycle cost-analysis implementation is presented. Based on this review, key factors that impose a significant effect on life-cycle cost analysis are identified. A new method called the VI model is developed; it considering bridge age, condition rating, and cost, which are believed to be the most important factors in the decision-making process. A parameter, referred to as the value index (