TY - JOUR TI - Using the analytic hierarchy process to improve the Rutgers simple bridge security checklist DO - https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3FJ2GGG PY - 2010 AB - Following the tragic events of September 11, 2001, the New Jersey Department of Transportation asked Rutgers University to develop a checklist to be used by bridge inspectors to provide department leaders with security data for the entire bridge inventory. Rutgers University quickly developed a concise checklist which could be used for this purpose. The existing tool consists of 37 questions broken down into 3 categories, which are Occurrence (O), Vulnerability (V), and Importance (I). The overall risk of the structure is measured in terms of the equation Risk = O x V x I. While the methodology behind the development of this tool was sound, the weights of the questions were based on academic case studies rather than statistical research. The use of this methodology limits the use of the checklist in real world applications. In order to implement this checklist, there was a need to statistically justify the weights assigned to each question. In order to improve this tool, a survey was administered to industry subject matter experts from across the United States to determine the relative importance of each question within the checklist. The data from the survey was analyzed using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and new weights were assigned to each question. There were significant differences found between some of the new and the previously assigned question weights. Some of these differences could be accounted for by examining the practicality versus academic value of certain questions. It was concluded that although the survey was extremely long, the Analytic Hierarchy Process was an effective methodology to use in the assignment of the question weights. Following the completion of the analysis, the bridge security checklist was updated with the new weights, and presented to state leadership for future implementation. KW - Civil and Environmental Engineering KW - Bridges--Security measures KW - Bridge failures KW - Bridges--Risk assessment LA - eng ER -