Parametric Model for Assessing Factors that Influence Highway Bridge Service Life

Infrastructure management must move from a perspective that may singularly emphasize facility condition assessment to a broader view that involves nonphysical factors, which may substantially impact facility performance and shorten its service life. Socioeconomic, technological, regulatory, and user value changes can substantially increase the service expectations of existing facilities. Based on a theoretical framework drawn from prior work, this research develops a new approach to model infrastructure performance and assess factors that influence the remaining service life of highway bridges. Key parameters that impact the serviceability of highway bridges are identified and incorporated into a system dynamics model. This platform supports parametric scenario analysis and is applied in several cases to test how various factors influence bridge service life and performance. This decision support system provides a new approach for modeling serviceability over time and gives decision-makers an indication of: (a) the gap between society's service expectations and the service level provided and (b) the remaining service life of a highway bridge.