ECONOMIC EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF ICE AND FROST ON BRIDGE DECKS

THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE COST- BENEFIT METHODOLOGY, COMPLETE WITH A SET OF REALISTIC PARAMETER VALUES, THAT CAN BE USED BY A HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATOR TO DETERMINE THE ADDED DESIGN OR EXTRA MAINTENANCE COST JUSTIFIED TO PREVENT OR REMEDY ICE OR FROST ON BRIDGE DECKS. THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDED A LITERATURE SEARCH, A SURVEY OF SELECTED STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS, THE FORMULATION OF A COST-BENEFIT METHODOLOGY, MODEL PARAMETRIC ANALYSIS, COLLECTION OF COST DATA ON PREVENTATIVE AND REMEDIAL TECHNIQUES IN CURRENT USE, DEVELOPMENT OF A SUBSIDIARY NET COST MODEL, FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF A BRIDGE CLASSIFICATION MODEL, AND COMPUTATION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES OF THE COST-BENEFIT METHODOLOGY APPLICATION. NUMERICAL EXAMPLES OF THE COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS WERE MADE USING DATA FROM SELECTED REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY TO BOTH DEMONSTRATE THE APPLICATION OF THE METHODOLOGY, CONSIDERING A VARIETY OF COUNTERMEASURES, AND TO ASSIST IN REFINING THE PARAMETER DETERMINATION. LOW BENEFIT/ COST RATIO VALUES (ON THE ORDER OF ONE-HALF) WERE GENERALLY OBTAINED FROM THE SAMPLE CASES. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT THE COST-BENEFIT METHODOLOGY DEVELOPED IS COMPREHENSIVE IN SCOPE AND HAS THE FLEXIBILITY TO REPRESENT A VARIETY OF SITUATIONS AND COUNTERMEASURE SYSTEMS. THE APPLICATION OF THE METHODOLOGY TO SAMPLE CASES IDENTIFIED DATA WHICH ARE LACKING AND NEED TO BE COLLECTED. FURTHER TESTING OF THE MODEL IS REQUIRED TO FACILITATE ITS COMPLETE USEFULNESS TO THE HIGHWAY ENGINEER.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 37 Pp, 6 TaB, 13 REF, 1 APP
• Corporate Authors:

  American Association of State Highway Officials

  57th Annual Meeting
  ,   United States 
• Authors:
  • Blackburn, R R
  • Glauz, W B
• Publication Date: 1971-12

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Bridge decks; Data collection; Deicing; Economic analysis; Highway maintenance; Maintenance management; Mathematical models; Preventive maintenance; Reviews; Snow and ice control; Surveys
• Uncontrolled Terms: Maintenance costs; Models
• Old TRIS Terms: Frost control
• Subject Areas: Economics; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218881
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 7 1972 12:00AM