Mashhadi, A H; Azad, A R G and Tavakolan, M (2023) Life cycle cost comparison of strengthening a steel bridge using post-installed shear connectors with bridge reconstruction. International Journal of Construction Management, 23(8), pp. 1311-1322. ISSN 1562-3599
Abstract
The growth of the world population increases traffic loads on infrastructures. Due to considerable number of low-capacity steel bridges, transportation agencies need to strengthen or rebuild them as two possible scenarios. As a novel means of strengthening low-capacity steel bridges, post-installed shear connectors lack economic analysis determining the user and agency costs. To this end, this paper focuses on the life cycle cost comparison of strengthening steel bridges using post-installed shear connectors with bridge reconstruction. Moreover, a steel bridge in Lakeport, Texas, that was strengthened using the aforementioned method is presented in the case study. One of the main contributions of this study is determining the life cycle cost of post-installed shear connectors, which provides important managerial insights to transportation agencies interested in deciding about rebuilding or strengthening steel bridges. The deterministic analysis results indicate that bridge strengthening is more beneficial for all stakeholders than bridge reconstruction. Furthermore, the results depict that user cost is the dominant contributor to total life-cycle costs. Considering the stochastic nature of LCCA elements, the probabilistic analysis results show the same results as deterministic analysis. Finally, the sensitivity analysis suggests that the discount rate is the most influential parameter on the life cycle cost.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | bridge strengthening; cost analysis; life cycle cost; post-installed shear connector |
| Index terms: | population, strengthening, agency, economic analysis, cost analysis, sensitivity analysis, rebuilding, life cycle cost, reconstruction, case study, transportation agency |
| Subjects: | structural engineering, research methods, demography, sociology, building construction, transportation engineering, environmental hazards, data collection methods, design analysis, financial and cost management |
| Topics: | Cost Management, Engineering Principles, Research Practice, Sustainability, Urban Studies, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here