Bridge Life-cycle Cost Analysis

Abstract

The two primary obstacles for applying bridge life-cycle cost analysis (BLCCA) have been the lack of a uniformly accepted methodology and the lack of access to reliable cost and service life personnel. There is also an apparent conflict with the least-first-cost method of contract administration. The lack of a rational approach to the consideration of important factors such as obsolescence, bridge vulnerability to extreme events, and the uncertainty in the cost and timing of repairs has also hindered the use of life-cycle costing in the past. This report and the BLCCA methodology developed as part of NCHRP Project 12-43 provide a framework for carrying out BLCCA and explicitly consider obsolescence, bridge vulnerability, and uncertainty. Cost parameters are included with recommended default values. The methodology provides the flexibility to add additional cost parameters identified in future research. This methodology is augmented by a BLCCA software package (with User's Manual), which automates the analysis process, and by a Guidance Manual, which describes the BLCCA process.

Cite this work

No public copy is stored for this record, so only the metadata is cited.

Stored only when both papers are in the corpus — 93 citations exist upstream.