Application of Petri nets to manage bridge decks

Abstract

Over the last decades, the most developed counties performed investments and efforts in the enhancement of civil engineering infrastructures. These countries have built infrastructures able to respond to current demands, reducing the need for investments in new infrastructures. However, most of the existing infrastructures present clear signs of deterioration, making it fundamental to invest correctly in their recovery. The ageing of infrastructure, together with the scarce budgets available for maintenance and rehabilitation, are the main reasons for the development of decision support tools in order to maximize the investment done in the past. In this study, a stochastic methodology for bridge component management based on Petri nets is presented. The deterioration model is applied to analyze the deterioration process over time, and the maintenance model is applied to analyze the consequences of alternative maintenance strategies to control deterioration in bridge components. The maintenance model described can be considered as a full life-cycle model that includes not only the deterioration process, but also inspections, maintenance, and renewal processes. The methodology proposed was used to analyze a sample of 425 pre-stressed concrete decks. The historic data used was obtained from a Portuguese highway manager and are based in major bridge inspection historic information.