Damage Reduction Effects of the Inspector’s First-aid Works at Inspection Site for Minor Damages

Abstract

The Hanshin Expressway has been conducting the simple repairs of damages found during periodic inspections (hereafter referred to as "the inspector’s first-aid works"). The purpose of it can be divided into two categories: enhancing safety and preventive maintenance. However, a quantitative evaluation of the damage prevention effect through the inspector’s first-aid works for minor damages, which is conducted for the latter purpose, has not yet been performed. Therefore, in this study, we propose a method to quantitatively evaluate the aforementioned effects. Specifically, we employ the Markov deterioration hazard model that takes into account the sample selection bias due to the inspector’s first-aid to estimate the deterioration process. Then, we estimate the number of damages classified under each condition state five years later through simulation. Furthermore, we apply the proposed methodology to inspection data from the Hanshin Expressway to verify its effectiveness.