The effects of expansion joint design on bridge life-cycle costs - initial investment versus total cost of ownership

The need to maximise long-term value for money supports the consideration of life-cycle costs rather than just initial construction costs when investing in key infrastructure such as bridges. This is especially true in the case of a bridge’s expansion joints, which are much less robust than the structure as a whole yet subjected to continuous movements and dynamic loading. The life-cycle costs of a bridge’s expansion joints may be considered to include not only initial supply and installation costs, but also maintenance and repair costs throughout their service life, and replacement costs, and the user costs associated with maintenance and replacement work – especially those relating to traffic disruption. Increasingly, the effects of avoidable work on the environment should also be considered. This paper will address this topic, discussing issues that should be considered in choosing the optimal solution for any individual structure.

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