Sponsor: North Carolina Department of Transportation
Duration: August 2013 – August 2015
(PI: Tara Cavalline)
The objectives of this project are to provide NCDOT with revised, updated deterioration models and user cost tables for use in the BMS software. As part of this work, a survey of BMS best practices nationwide will be performed, along with a thorough review of relevant literature related to bridge deterioration modeling and user costs. In addition to directing the strategies pursued within this project for devising revised deterioration models, this literature review will facilitate the development of recommendations and forecasting of challenges related to the pending transition to expanded element-level condition ratings. Existing data in NCDOTs BMS will be reviewed, and steps to address data anomalies will be identified and implemented, if necessary. New deterioration models will then be developed for the existing data on the family level, with elements grouped into families by material type, geographic location, and average annual daily traffic (AADT). Emphasis will be placed on determining the effect of individual maintenance activity on deterioration models. The relative impact of individual maintenance activities on element condition ratings (either improvement or sustainment of current rating) will be quantified, and the effects of naturally driven deterioration in bridge components and maintenance actions will be determined.
