Economic Analysis of Buried Corrugated Steel Culverts Considering Deterioration

The characteristics of the corrugated steel culvert and the deterioration of the structure are analyzed. The Life Cycle Cost (LCC) approach is put forward to analysis the initial, maintenance and recycling cost of the different material culverts. The user delay costs are added to the typical LCC values considering the deterioration and the failure of structures. The analysis and the economic comparison results show that the total LCC values at the failure emergency situation is much larger than the situation when the deterioration is considered initiatively. Such economic analysis can help the project decision makers better understand the risks associated with deterioration and failure. The inspection and maintenance schedule should be formulated considering the culvert size, the environment in which the culvert is placed, and the characteristics of the soil and the backfill.