STUDY ON DETERMINATION OF BRIDGE MAINTENANCE PRIORITIZATION BASED ON BETWEENNESS-ACCESSIBILITY INDEX

Abstract

 Many Japanese bridges built in the 1960s and 70s are aging, and their maintenance costs are expected to increase in the future. Under the circumstances, it is necessary to determine maintenance prioritization since there is a limit to repair all bridges. This study aims to measure and evaluate maintenance prioritization for bridges considering deterioration of bridge components and connectivity of road networks in Wajima City, Ishikawa. We measure connectivity of road network using “betweenness-accessibility index” that couples the familiar betweenness indicator of social network with the geographical concept of accessibility to activity locations for residents. The results show that there are several bridges with high levels of connectivity of road networks and of significant deterioration, and these bridges need to be repaired to ensure accessibility for residents. We also identify some bridges with low levels of accessibility as candidates for removal.