Life Cycle Management of Structural Systems Based on the Optimal SHM Strategy by VoI Analysis

Structural health monitoring (SHM) has been widely installed on critical infrastructure, such as buildings, bridges, dams, etc., which are very beneficial for optimal life-cycle decision making. However, the identification of how to implement SHM optimally on a structural system is a key challenge in Structural Integrity Management (SIM). In this paper, the theory of Value of Information (VoI) is applied to make the optimal SHM strategy decision for deteriorated structural systems in the context of life cycle management. The VoI is quantified by the difference of life-cycle cost between the prior decision analysis and pre-posterior decision analysis, with the consideration of different system properties. Taking the series systems and parallel systems as two common system models, the general performance deterioration model and routine maintenance strategy for structural components are considered. Based on the VoI analysis, the effects of different system properties on VoI are demonstrated and the optimal life-cycle SHM strategies for different structural system models are determined. Correspondingly, the prior and pre-posterior life-cycle cost of structural systems are analyzed and the related parametric analysis results show that system properties have a significant influence on the VoI.