Economic Analysis of Bridge Rehabilitation Options Considering Life-Cycle Costs

A method is described for performing an economic analysis of a large number of bridges to establish priorities and to make preliminary selection of rehabilitation options. Selecting the most cost-efficient rehabilitation scheme for bridges is a critical problem when resources are limited. The information required to perform the analysis is normally available from basic bridge inspection data. The method compares the cost and benefits of various rehabilitation alternatives with the consequences of not undertaking the rehabilitation. A program of bridge works can be selected on the basis of the highest ratios of net present value to capital cost. The computations are well suited to common spreadsheet computer programs. From the results of the computations, owners can prepare an appropriate budget to finance a bridge rehabilitation program. The method is particularly well suited to analyzing how expenditures should be allocated over time when funds are limited.