Dominance-based rough set approach to network bridge management

Abstract

Bridge management is essential for optimizing available resources. Prioritising maintenance and assessing the effectiveness of different maintenance strategies are based on the conventional condition ratings of bridge components. This paper presents the development of a Decision Support System for maintenance management at the Network Bridge Level, based on the theory of the Dominance-Based Rough Set Approach. Dominance-Based Rough Set Approach produces a decision model expressed in terms of easily understandable "if..., then..." decision rules which control the decision process and avoid the "black box" effects of many alternative decision support methods. In the proposed Decision Support System, bridges are described by a set of 16 parameters that describe the state of degradation, structure, territory, traffic and network characteristics. To illustrate this Decision Support System, a case study involving Italian roads is presented. The proposed Decision Support System is a flexible tool because it allows updating parameters periodically as a consequence of practice, expertise and management policies. © 2014 Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VGTU) Press Technika.