The modeling of risk perception in the use of structural health monitoring information for optimal maintenance decisions

• Published in: Reliability engineering & system safety Vol. 229; p. 108845
• Main Authors: Chadha, Mayank, Ramancha, Mukesh K., Vega, Manuel A., Conte, Joel P., Todd, Michael D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Barking Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2023; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Bayesian inference; Behavioral economics; Decision making; Expected utility theory; Inland waterways; Life cycles; Maintenance; Miter gates; Mitre gates; Psychology; Reliability engineering; Risk assessment; Risk perception; Risk profile; Risk taking; Structural damage; Structural health monitoring; Waterways; Risk profile; Miter gates; Structural health monitoring; Bayesian inference; Expected utility theory; Behavioral economics
• ISSN: 0951-8320; 1879-0836
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ress.2022.108845

This paper proposes an approach to select a maintenance strategy from a predefined set of choices considering the decision maker’s behavioral risk profile. It is assumed that the damage state is characterized by a continuous state parameter probabilistically inferred from observable sensor data. This work applies an engineering application of consequence-based decision-making incorporating the acceptable risk intensity of the decision-maker, i.e., the decision-maker’s (individual or an organization) valuation of the outcome of a decision, using a risk profile model. The utility of a decision-maker is subjective, and this paper considers the fact that different decision-makers mentally assign a different importance factor (the utility) to the seriousness or urgency to take necessary actions with the increasing intensity of structural damage. The approach herein incorporates a layer of human psychology on selecting appropriate maintenance strategies that not only depend on the posterior distribution of unmeasurable damage state but also consider the behavioral risk profile of the decision-maker. The collective decision-making of an organization consisting of many individuals is also investigated. The approach is exemplified in a case study involving life cycle monitoring of a miter gate, part of a lock system enabling navigation of inland waterways. •An approach to decide on a maintenance strategy from a predefined set of choices is presented.•A strategy to incorporate the individual and organizational risk profile is developed.•The framework relies on Expected Utility Theory in tandem with a logarithmic utility model.•The approach is exemplified in a case study involving life cycle monitoring of a miter gate.