Application of Analytical Hierarchy Process for Structural Health Monitoring and Prioritizing Concrete Bridges in Iran

Abstract

This paper proposes a method for monitoring the structural health of concrete bridges in Iran. In this method, the bridge condition index (BCI) of bridges is determined by the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). BCI constitutes eight indices that are scored based on the experts’ views, including structural, hydrology and climate, safety, load impact, geotechnical and seismicity, strategic importance, facilities, and traffic and pavement. Experts’ views were analyzed by Expert Choice software, and the relative importance (weight) of all eight indices were determined using AHP. Moreover, the scores of indices for various conditions were extracted from experts’ standpoints. BCI defines as the sum of weighted scores of indices. Bridge inspectors can examine the bridge, determine the scores of indices, and compute BCI. Higher values of BCI indicate better conditions. Therefore, bridges with lower BCI take priority in maintenance activities. As the case studies, the authors selected five bridges in Iran. Successful implementation of the proposed method for these case studies verified that this method can be applied as an easy-to-use optimization tool in health monitoring and prioritizing programs.