Stochastic Multi-Objective Optimization-Based Life Cycle Cost Analysis for New Construction Materials and Technologies

Abstract

The sustainability of transportation infrastructure depends on the adoption of new construction materials and technologies that can potentially improve performance and productivity. However, most agencies would like to evaluate these new materials and technologies at both the project and network levels before replacing the traditional ones. It also remains a challenge to reliably estimate the costs and lifetime performance of new construction materials and technologies because of limited implementation data. To address these issues, this paper presents a comprehensive bottom-up methodology based on Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) to integrate project- and network-level analysis that can fast-track the acceptance of new materials or technologies. Hypothesized improvement rates are applied to the deterioration functions of existing materials to represent the expected improved performance of a new material compared with a conventional material with relatively similar characteristics. This new approach with stochastic treatment allows us to probabilistically evaluate new materials with limited data for their future performance. Feasible maintenance and rehabilitation schedules are found for each facility at the project level and near-optimal investment strategies are identified at the network level by using a metaheuristic evolutionary algorithm while satisfying network-wide constraints. This provides an effective solution to many issues that have not been fully addressed in the past, including the trade-off between multiple objectives, effects of time, uncertainty, and outcome interpretation. A hypothetical bridge deck system from New Jersey’s bridge inventory database is used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed methodology in constructing a planning and management decision-support procedure.

A Dynamic Panel Data Approach for the Analysis of the Growth Impact of Highway Infrastructures on Economic Development

“…Many of the previous studies have identified relationships between transportation investment and benefit or output. For this purpose, the benefits and costs of the projects or actions can be calculated using some approaches, such as life cycle cost analysis and decision-making processes (Gao et al, 2019;Kalan et al, 2019;Kalan, 2019). In macro level, the output of transportation investments can be scrutinized and some findings indicate a positive relationship between transportation investment and economic development (Aschauer, 1990;Ozbay et al, 2003;Ozbay et al, 2006;Ozbay et al, 2007).…”

Systematic Review of Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Cost Analysis for Pavement and a Case Study

“…Efforts presented to incorporate various cost factors such as years, users, and social cost, as well as a stochastic tackling of uncertainties, were included. The purpose was to approach the reasonable estimate for the future performance of the newly adopted materials or techniques [37]. Similarly, a convenient method to analyze the optimized tack coat for the pavement layer is LCCA, which will help to ensure cost-effective optimum tack coat application in the field [117].…”

“…Likewise, LCA, Life Cycle Cost Analyses (LCCA) is considered an appropriate methodology by decision-makers to evaluate the economical and socio-environmentally sustainable pavement project's consequences [32][33][34][35][36]. LCCA has many applications, among which it allows the decision-makers to compare and choose the best alternative to achieve sustainable development [37,38]. LCCA is utilized in the decision-making process during the planning and design stage to evaluate all the constraints related to a project [39][40][41].…”

Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Cost Analysis in Infrastructure Projects: A Systematic Review

“…Likewise, LCA, the Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) is considered an appropriate methodology by decision-makers to evaluate the economical and socio-environmentally sustainable infrastructure project's consequences [31][32][33][34][35]. LCCA has many applications, among which it allows the decision-makers to compare and choose the best alternative to achieve sustainable development [36,37]. LCCA is utilized in the decision-making process during the planning and design stage to evaluate all the constraints related to a project [38][39][40].…”

“…Efforts presented to incorporate various cost factors such as years, users, and social cost, as well as a stochastic tackling of uncertainties, has been included. The purpose was to approach the reasonable estimate of the future performance of the newly adopted materials or techniques [36]. Similarly, A convenient method to analyses the optimized tack coat for the pavement layer is LCCA, which will help to ensure cost-effective optimum tack coat application in the field [109].…”