Reliability and Life-cycle Analysis of Deteriorating Systems

This book compiles and critically discusses modern engineering system degradation models and their impact on engineering decisions. In particular, the authors focus on modeling the uncertain nature of degradation considering both conceptual discussions and formal mathematical formulations. It also describes the basics concepts and the various modeling aspects of life-cycle analysis (LCA). It highlights the role of degradation in LCA and defines optimum design and operation parameters. Given the relationship between operational decisions and the performance of the system’s condition over time, maintenance models are also discussed.

The concepts and models presented have applications in a large variety of engineering fields such as Civil, Environmental, Industrial, Electrical and Mechanical engineering. However, special emphasis is given to problems related to large infrastructure systems. The book is intended to be used both as a reference resource for researchers and practitioners and as an academic text for courses related to risk and reliability, infrastructure performance modeling and life-cycle assessment.

Mauricio Sanchez-Silva: I am a Professor of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Los Andes University (Bogota, Colombia) since 1996. I received my B.S. and MSc. in Civil engineering from Los Andes University; and my Ph.D. at the University of Bristol, UK. My main areas of research are: applied probability (risk and reliability assessment), life-cycle analysis and physical and stochastic modelling of degrading systems; which are all related with the topic of this book. The result of my research has led to the publication of 1 book (2 editions), 7 book chapters, over 60 Journal papers and 80 conference papers; most of them related to infrastructure problems such as degradation (e.g., chloride ingress in concrete, biodegradation, stochastic modelling), maintenance (optimum infrastructure operation policies), risk and reliability assessment, and network modelling. In addition, I have taught both graduate and undergraduate courses in Civil and Industrial Engineering; graduate courses are mostly related to risk, reliability and infrastructure management and modeling. Finally, throughout my career I have been involved in projects with different industrial sectors (e.g., oil industry; construction, disaster management offices), which involve risk and reliability assessments and the evaluation of infrastructure’s performance over time.

Georgia-Ann Klutke: I am Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering at Texas A&M University. I received my B.S. in mathematics, M.S. in biostatistics from the University of Michigan, and Ph.D. in industrial engineering and operations research from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. My research interests are in the applications of probabilistic methods in engineering, primarily focused on production operations, and particularly in equipment reliability and maintenance. I have published widely in this area and have taught a variety of courses ranging from probabilistic methods, beginning and advanced stochastic processes, production operations, to reliability and maintenance engineering. In my 26 year career in academia, I have served on the faculties of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, The University of Texas at Austin, and have been full Professor at Texas A&M since 2002. My research has been funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, State of Texas, and General Motors Research Lab, among others. I am a Registered Professional Engineering in the State of Texas and an elected Fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers.