Bridges

Asset owners are interested in the use of durable concrete to maximize design life of their structures and minimize Whole of Life Cost (WOLC) throughout. Similarly, most assets owners nowadays also require their assets to be sustainable and environmentally friendly, including the concrete solutions.

Ultimately, both durability and sustainability should be given balanced considerations when deciding on appropriate concrete solutions for each type of structure or asset. An approach to achieve both durable and sustainable concrete is by estimation of sustainability coefficient, which is normally assessed from service life and environmental impact. This estimation is refined by the inclusion of WOLC as it remains the most important consideration for asset owners.

Service life, WOLC and impact on environment are key parameters of a structure; however, criticality of the structure is also important. The methodology to determine criticality of a structure is provided. Furthermore, criticality is also included in the determination of the minimum acceptable sustainability coefficient.

The selection of minimum acceptable sustainability coefficient provides designers and asset owners leverage on the importance of sustainability.

Example calculations illustrate various approaches and methodologies.