Steel bridges that are under severe chloride exposure due to deicing salts or marine environmental effects require frequent maintenance and repair activities to extend their service life and maintain an adequate performance level. In addition to the direct maintenance cost, these maintenance actions may lead to indirect costs associated with traffic delays and environmental effects that can significantly increase the life-cycle cost of the bridge under consideration. The use of more sustainable materials, such as maintenance-free steel, may increase the initial cost of the structure; however, the life-cycle cost, including the maintenance actions during the service life and their associated indirect effects, can be significantly reduced. This paper presents the computational approach and results of an analytical investigation to quantify the life-cycle cost of a steel bridge constructed using conventional painted carbon steel and to compare this cost to that of the same bridge constructed using maintenance-free steel. Indirect environmental, social, and economic impacts of maintenance actions are computed to quantify the sustainability metrics associated with steel bridges during their life cycle. The approach is illustrated using an existing bridge located in Pennsylvania.
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