Decision-Making Guidance for Selecting Culvert Renewal Techniques

Deteriorating culvert infrastructure is among the primary concerns of transportation agencies across the globe and therefore, they need guidance tools for optimal inspection and rehabilitation decision making. This study developed and validated an easy-to-use decision making tool called the Culvert REnewal Selection Tool (CREST) for selecting appropriate renewal techniques to rehabilitate or replace deteriorated culverts. Eleven renewal techniques are investigated in this study as part of developing CREST; they include open-cut method (OC), internal grouting through human entry (IG), robotic grouting (RG), internal shotcrete through human entry (IS), robotic shotcrete (RS), slip lining (SL), cured-in-place pipe (CIPP), fold and form lining (FFL), spiral-wound lining (SWL), centrifugally cast concrete pipe lining (CCCP), and pipe bursting (PB). These techniques are appropriately mapped with the commonly observed defects in reinforced concrete pipe (RCP), corrugated metal pipe (CMP), and high density polyethylene (HDPE) culverts based on their general ability to address the respective defects. This dissertation study evaluated all the eleven culvert techniques based on three decision criteria that most transportation agencies are concerned about. The criteria include cost, expected design life, and productivity. The results of the evaluation are combined with user-defined, decision criteria preferences to develop CREST using the principles of Monte-Carlo Analytical Hierarchy Process (MCAHP). Twenty-six real-world case studies are chosen in order to validate CREST for a greater practical utility. CREST and the results of this study will provide general guidance to transportation agencies in planning and decision making of culvert rehabilitation projects