Options for the replacement of aging bridges under local authority control in rural areas of Queensland

Abstract

There are a significant amount of bridges under local government control currently in a state of severe degradation. To aid in rectifying this problem an analysis framework has been developed to enable rural local governments to determine appropriate bridge infrastructure replacement and repair options which satisfy the economic, social and environmental requirements of the organisation and of the community it serves. The framework utilises a structured analysis process which enables both the most appropriate position for the crossing and the most appropriate form of the crossing to be determined. The analysis process uses a numerical system to rate the performance of several options relative to the performance of the existing situation. The performance of the option is determined by considering a set of criteria developed to assess the economic, social and environmental characteristics of the proposal. The relative importance of each criterion to the goals of the organisation is also taken into consideration in the performance appraisal. To enable a thorough analysis each option is considered through three numerical scores representing the economic, social and environmental performance. Four case studies within the North Burnett Regional Council area have been developed to demonstrate the appropriate use of the framework within its intended environment. The framework developed provides an accurate analysis tool conducive to the time and resource constraints typical of rural local government engineering.