Bridge Health Index: Study of Element Condition States and Importance Weights

The AASHTO Pontis bridge management system has been used to support network-level and project-level decision making on the condition and functional obsolescence of bridges. State departments of transportation often develop bridge inspection data collection methods, deterioration models, cost models, and other preservation analysis capabilities to comply with the requirements of the federal Government Accounting Standards Board. The bridge health index (BHI) in the Pontis bridge management system has been used in the evaluation of the condition of bridges and elements at the project and network levels. This paper investigates three issues in the computation of the BHI: the effects of using linear and nonlinear scales for the condition state weights when computing the element health index (EHI); the application of amplification weights to EHI values to emphasize bridge elements in bad condition; and the development of element weights based on element replacement costs, element long-term costs, element vulnerability to hazard risks, and a combination of these measures. Historical condition data from element-based inspection were used to evaluate these effects at the network level.