Bridges play a crucial role in connecting two places. Therefore, it is an important subject for concerned agency to maintain a bridge's functionality and safety after its completion. As we know, steel bridges possess the advantages of lightweight, high strength, and high ductility. However, the corrosion problems caused by aging of the coating surface of steel bridges affect structural safety and increase the cost of maintenance at operation stage. Nowadays, many bridges had already induced huge cost for their repair and maintenance before reaching its designed life cycle. This is showing a lack of technique and quality of bridge design and management. This paper compares the life-cycle costs of traditional paint coating method and that of Hot-dip galvanization method on steel bridges. From a short-term cost perspective, paint coating method is more cost effective, for its unit cost is lower. However, from a life-cycle cost perspective, Hot-dip galvanization is more cost effective for it initially does not require maintenance for a long period of time. By applying the concept of life-cycle in bridge construction, maintenance cost could be lowered. Therefore, it is worthwhile to look into its potential.
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