Sustainable Prioritization of Bridge Rehabilitation Considering Road User Cost

摘要

This paper discusses a number of ramifications related to the road user costs within theframework of a Bridge Maintenance and Management System (BMMS). The findings and theimplications are based on a real life case study of six bridges on the national road network withinthe Republic of Ireland. The chosen bridges are all affected by one or more problems chieflyrelated to the durability of the structures. The decisions on these bridges are particularlyimportant due to their geographical, socio-economic and socio-political significance to theowners, the managers and the end-users. Initially a brief overview of the existing bridgemaintenance and management framework and the general practice in the implementation of thesame in the Republic of Ireland is provided in this paper. Then the impact of road user costs onthe viable intervention options on these chosen bridges within the network of national roads isdemonstrated through examples. The variability of the participation of the road user cost insustainable prioritisation of bridge rehabilitation is critically investigated. The findings of thisstudy qualitatively and quantitatively illustrate how road user costs can significantly influencethe final decision-making on bridge structures and emphasize the importance of the same withinany Bridge Maintenance and Management System (BMMS).