An Integrated Method for Optimizing Bridge Maintenance Plans

Bridges are one of the vital civil infrastructure assets, essential for economic developments and public welfare. Their large numbers, deteriorating condition, public demands for safe and efficient transportation networks and limited maintenance and intervention budgets pose a challenge, particularly when coupled with the need to respect environmental constraints. This state of affairs creates a wide gap between critical needs for intervention actions, and tight maintenance and rehabilitation funds. In an effort to meet this challenge, a newly developed integrated method for optimized maintenance and intervention plans for reinforced concrete bridge decks is introduced. The method encompasses development of five models: surface defects evaluation, corrosion severities evaluation, deterioration modeling, integrated condition assessment, and optimized maintenance plans. These models were automated in a set of standalone computer applications, coded using C#.net in Matlab environment. These computer applications were subsequently combined to form an integrated method for optimized maintenance and intervention plans. Four bridges and a dataset of bridge images were used in testing and validating the developed optimization method and its five models. The developed models have unique features and demonstrated noticeable performance and accuracy over methods used in practice and those reported in the literature. For example, the accuracy of the surface defects detection and evaluation model outperforms those of widely-recognized machine leaning and deep learning models; reducing detection, recognition and evaluation of surface defects error by 56.08%, 20.2% and 64.23%, respectively. The corrosion evaluation model comprises design of a standardized amplitude rating system that circumvents limitations of numerical amplitude-based corrosion maps. In the integrated condition, it was inferred that the developed model accomplished consistent improvement over the visual inspection procedures in-use by the Ministry of Transportation in Quebec. Similarly, the deterioration model displayed average enhancement in the prediction accuracies by 60% when compared against the most commonly-utilized weibull distribution. The performance of the developed multi-objective optimization model yielded 49% and 25% improvement over that of genetic algorithm in a five-year study period and a twenty five-year study period, respectively. At the level of thirty five-year study period, unlike the developed model, classical meta-heuristics failed to find feasible solutions within the assigned constraints. The developed integrated platform is expected to provide an efficient tool that enables decision makers to formulate sustainable maintenance plans that optimize budget allocations and ensure efficient utilization of resources

Aspects of Pseudo Entropy in Field Theory

‎In this article‎, ‎we explore properties of pseudo entropy [1] ‎in quantum field theories and spin systems from several approaches‎. ‎Pseudo entropy is a generalization of entanglement entropy such that it depends on both an initial and‎ ‎final state and has a clear gravity dual via the AdS/CFT‎. ‎We numerically analyze‎ ‎a class of free scalar field theories and the XY spin model‎. ‎This reveals basic properties of‎ ‎pseudo entropy in quantum many-body systems‎, ‎namely‎, ‎the area law behavior‎, ‎the saturation behavior‎, ‎and the non-positivity of difference between the pseudo entropy and averaged entanglement entropy in the same quantum phase‎. ‎In addition‎, ‎our numerical analysis finds an example where the strong subadditivity of pseudo entropy‎ ‎gets violated‎. ‎Interestingly‎, ‎we find that the non-positivity of the difference can be violated only if the initial and final state belong to different quantum phases‎. ‎We also present analytical arguments which support these properties by both conformal field theoretic and holographic calculations‎. ‎When the initial and final state belong to different topological phases‎, ‎we expect a gapless mode localized along an interface‎, ‎which enhances the pseudo entropy‎, ‎leading to the violation of the non-positivity of the difference‎. ‎Moreover‎, ‎we also compute the time evolution of pseudo entropy after a global quantum quench‎, ‎where we observe that the imaginary part of pseudo entropy shows an interesting characteristic behavior‎

Relative model of the logical entropy of sub-σΘ\sigma_\Theta-algebras

‎In the context of observers‎, ‎any mathematical model according to the viewpoint of an observer $\Theta$ is called a relative model‎. ‎The purpose of the present paper is to study the relative model of logical entropy‎. ‎Given an observer $\Theta$‎, ‎we define the relative logical entropy and relative conditional logical entropy of a sub-$\sigma_\Theta$-algebra having finitely many atoms on the relative probability $\Theta‎- ‎$measure space and prove the ergodic properties of these measures‎. ‎Finally‎, ‎it is shown that the relative logical entropy is invariant under‎‎the relation of equivalence modulo zero

The Kumaraswamy Weibull Geometric Distribution with Applications

‎In this work‎, ‎we study the kumaraswamy weibull geometric ($Kw-WG$) distribution which includes as special cases‎, ‎several models such as the kumaraswamy weibull distribution‎, ‎kumaraswamy exponential distribution‎, ‎weibull geometric distribution‎, ‎exponential geometric distribution‎, ‎to name a few‎. ‎This distribution was monotone and non-monotone hazard rate functions‎, ‎which are useful in lifetime data analysis and reliability‎. ‎We derive some basic properties of the $Kw-WG$ distribution including noncentral $r$th‎-moments, ‎skewness‎, ‎kurtosis‎, ‎generating functions‎, ‎mean deviations‎, ‎mean residual life‎, ‎entropy‎, ‎order statistics and certain characterizations of our distribution‎. ‎The method of maximum likelihood is used for estimating the model parameters and a simulation study to investigate the behavior of this estimation is presented‎. ‎Finally‎, ‎an application of the new distribution and its comparison with recent flexible generalization of weibull distribution is illustrated via two real data sets‎