Bridge management in the Netherlands; Prioritisation based on network performance

Abstract. In the Netherlands the maintenance of bridges is planned by standardising the maintenance for its constituent components. These components are all characterised by their specific technical and functional properties and financial value. Standardised documents, plans and procedures were introduced for optimising maintenance of civil structures. Because the actual annual maintenance need does not fit into the annual budget in general, prioritisation of measures is necessary. The effect of this prioritisation on the network performance can be optimised using life-cycle costing techniques. Another important aspect is to qualitatively express the network performance to facilitate and assist management. Performance indicators are being developed for this purpose, based on a description of the influence of maintenance on the quality of the network in terms of the policy objectives “accessibility”, “traffic safety”, “environmental quality”, “comfort ” and “aesthetics”. The cost of the maintenance programmes can be related to these objectives. The effects of the different maintenance options can be evaluated on a network level in this way. 1