SGER: Soft Computing-Based Life-Cycle Cost Analysis of Transportation Infrastructure Investments

这项探索性研究（SGER）的小额赠款侧重于使用软计算开发实用的经济分析工具，以支持交通基础设施资产管理。 研究的具体目标是：（1）开发一个整体框架，将软计算技术的生命周期成本分析的基础设施资产，（2）制定一个原型的混合软计算算法的生命周期成本分析，（3）比较算法与传统的生命周期成本分析工具，使用简单的例子，以评估其实用潜力。 生命周期成本分析（LCCA）的主要关注点之一是在工程经济分析中考虑物理和经济方面的不确定性和主观性。 这已经在文献中使用概率方法得到了广泛的解决。 然而，由于一些不确定性是一个模糊的性质，软计算应用程序在理论上比概率方法更合适。软计算提供了一种正式的方法来处理随机和模糊的不确定性，因此预计将产生更强大，可靠和稳定的结果。此外，一个以软计算为基础的寿命周期成本分析系统可以便利将需要主观评估的非货币因素纳入分析，预期经过修改以处理模糊性的寿命周期成本分析工具将提高基础设施管理过程的效率。 虽然这项工作将集中在一个特定的交通基础设施资产，路面，研究应该有更广泛的影响，由于方法和算法的推广到其他类型的基础设施资产和相关领域。通过使用这些工具获得的知识将有助于各机构了解基础设施管理决策的技术和经济影响，以及有效管理和更新现有基础设施系统的重要性。

This Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) focuses on the use soft computing for developing practical economic analysis tools to support transportation infrastructure asset management. The specific objectives of the research are to: (1) develop an overall framework for the incorporation of soft computing techniques in the life-cycle cost analysis of infrastructure assets, (2) formulate a prototype hybrid soft computing algorithm for life-cycle cost analysis, and (3) compare the algorithm against traditional life-cycle cost analysis tools using simple examples to assess its practical potential. One of the main concerns surrounding life-cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is the treatment of the uncertainty and subjectivity in the physical and economic aspects considered in the engineering economic analysis. This has been addressed extensively in the literature using probabilistic approaches. However, since some of the uncertainty is of an ambiguous nature, soft computing applications are theoretically more appropriate than the probabilistic methods. Soft computing provides a formal approach for the treatment of both random and ambiguous uncertainty and thus is expected to yield more robust, reliable, and stable results. Furthermore, a soft computing-based LCCA system could facilitate the incorporation of non-monetary factors, which require subjective assessments, into the analysis.Life-cycle cost analysis tools modified to treat ambiguity are expected to increase the efficiency of the infrastructure management process. Although the work will concentrate on a specific transportation infrastructure asset, pavements, the research should have a broader impact due to the generalizability of the methods and algorithms to other types of infrastructure assets and related areas. The knowledge acquired through the use of these tools will help agencies understand the technical and economical implications of infrastructure management decisions and the importance of efficiently managing and renewing the existing infrastructure systems.