Optimal Strategies for Bridge Replacement

Abstract

A method for replacing undersized bridges under limited budgets for a specified planning horizon has been developed and applied to the agricultural area of Young America, Illinois. The period of the planning horizon are considered in any arbitrary order, and a subhorizon is defined between the beginning of the overall planning horizon and each period. For each subhorizon, the most cost‐effective bridge replacement policy is selected, according to a route assignment procedure. This procedure is a heuristic method that identifies the most important users of a transportation system and sequentially reroutes them, starting with the most economical routes and finishing with routes without undersized bridges for any user.