Development of an advanced performance evaluation system for existing concrete bridges

The management of existing concrete bridges has become a major social concern in many developed countries due to the large number of bridges exhibiting signs of significant deterioration. This problem has increased the demand for effective maintenance and renewal planning. In order to implement an appropriate management procedure for a structure, a wide array of corrective strategies must be evaluated with respect not only to the condition state of each defect but also safety, economy and sustainability. This paper describes a new performance evaluation system for existing concrete bridges. The system evaluates performance based on load carrying capability and durability from the results of a visual inspection and specification data, and describes the necessity of maintenance. It categorizes all girders and slabs as either unsafe, severe deterioration, moderate deterioration, mild deterioration, or safe. The technique employs an expert system with an appropriate knowledge base in the evaluation. A characteristic feature of the system is the use of neural networks to evaluate the performance and facilitate refinement of the knowledge base. Generally, although a neural network is a powerful machine-learning tool, the inference process becomes a “black box,” which renders impossible the representation of knowledge in the form of rules. However, the neural network proposed in the present study has the capability to prevent an inference process and knowledge base from becoming a black box. It is very important that the system is capable of detailing how the performance is calculated since the road network represents a huge investment. The effectiveness of the neural network and machine learning method is verified by comparing diagnostic results by bridge experts.