Value of the SHM System in the Context of Risk-based Inspection Planning

Risk-based inspection (RBI) planning is concerned with the optimal allocation of deterioration control which is based on pre-posterior analysis using the Bayesian decision theory and the expected utility theory. It has been widely used to make inspection and repair strategy in the field of civil engineering and infrastructure systems. Nowadays, with the developments of sensing and inspection technology, SHM has been widely adopted as an extended tool to provide decision support in the RBI planning. Structural health monitoring (SHM) systems can provide continuous performance to decreas the existed uncertainty in engineering risk analysis. However, the quantification of benefits in the viewpoint of utility by SHM has not received widespread attention. The present paper is aimed to describe a framework of pre-posterior analysis for support of decisions in the viewpoint of life-cycle cost analysis (LCA), apply the concept of Value of Information (VoI) to make the optimal SHM strategy decision in the context of RBI planning.
The VoI concept is herein elaborated through an illustrative example involved the fatigue-induced degradation as well as two simplified approaches of RBI planning. It is demonstrated how VoI can be used to effectively provide a decision-making support of SHM strategy in the strategy level of RBI planning.