On optimal lifetime maintenance strategies taking into account probabilities of violating structural performance and cost thresholds

Extensions of the modern optimum maintenance strategies for deteriorating structures based on minimum total cost into the nondeterministic range allow to take into account the uncertainties in structural performance, maintenance actions and total cost. In a recent paper (Bucher and Frangopol 2005 ), the authors proposed a framework and an approach for optimizing the lifetime maintenance strategies for deteriorating structures considering probabilities of violating safety, condition and cost thresholds. This paper summarizes the results presented in Bucher and Frangopol ( 2005 ) and further develops the proposed approach by considering both the safety and condition thresholds as design variables. The approach is based on Monte-Carlo simulation. Smoothing of the Monte-Carlo-based results is carried out by utilizing a regression technique.