ABSTRACT
96 Chapter 5 provides the probabilistic single–objective optimum service life and life-cycle cost management for fatigue-sensitive civil and marine structures. The associated single-objective optimization problems are based on minimizing the expected maintenance delay, maximizing the expected extended service life, and minimizing the expected life-cycle cost. These objectives are formulated using the event tree, which considers the probability of fatigue damage detection and the effects of inspection and maintenance on the service life extension and life–cycle cost under uncertainty. The relations among the number of inspections and monitorings, expected maintenance delay, expected extended service life and expected lifecycle cost are investigated. By solving the single-objective optimization problem for a given number of inspections and inspection types, the optimum inspection times are obtained. For monitoring planning, optimum monitoring starting times are determined when the number of monitorings and monitoring durations are predefined. The approach presented is illustrated on an existing fatigue-sensitive bridge.
