A probabilistic approach for restoration optimization of transportation infrastructure assets in response to flood event damages

Flood events occur annually causing damage to communities and transportation networks. A loss of performance can greatly affect populations socioeconomically many years post-event. Restoring these damages as efficiently and effectively as possible is imperative. Quality asset management plays an important role by keeping track of expenditures on projects and if those assets are continually being damaged. It can also give decision-makers the ability to make informed decisions on how to repair a damaged transportation asset. Iowa has an extensive history of riverine flooding across the state. The damages sustained by transportation assets, the method of repair, and the cost are recorded on detailed damage inspection reports (DDIRs). A database was created using information from DDIRs completed by the Iowa Department of Transportation (IADOT). The most common damages for bridges and roads were determined. The common tasks used to repair the damages and the cost were analyzed. A survey was sent to IADOT employees to gather information on the duration of repair tasks used to repair the common damages. This collected data was used in a probabilistic approach to optimizing restoration schedules. It was shown using the average daily traffic volume that the solutions were shorter but more expensive than the solutions using a low-volume daily traffic volume. The effect of indirect costs on the total economic loss of a project was clearly shown and should be considered in addition to of the direct costs of construction