Expected maintenance cost of deteriorating civil infrastructures

Abstract

In a world where financial resources do not keep pace with the growing demand for maintenance of deteriorating civil infrastructures, it is imperative that those responsible for maintenance decisions make the best possible use of limited financial resources. Decision makers have to evaluate the expected maintenance cost of deteriorating civil infrastructures and to use benefit/cost techniques for finding the optimal resource allocation. This paper proposes a methodology for the evaluation of expected maintenance cost of deteriorating civil infrastructures by considering uncertainties associated with the application of subsequent maintenance actions. The methodology can be used to determine the expected number of maintenances of a deteriorating structure, or a group of deteriorating structures, during a specified time interval and the associated expected maintenance costs. The method can be easily programmed and incorporated into an existing software package for life-cycle costing of civil infrastructures. © 2004 ASCE.