Simulation-Based Maintenance Planning for Waterway Networks

In response to lock deterioration in a waterway network, it is necessary to schedule timely maintenance to sustain navigability and provide regular lockage service. Locks degrading over time have reduced capacities and increased service times. In order to maximize total net benefits, it is important to schedule maintenance to keep the lock condition above its threshold value, provide minimum acceptable service, and reduce the risk of serious failures. With constrained budgets, network-level maintenance can be scheduled over a planning horizon. A waterway model that combines simulation and optimization is developed to optimally allocate maintenance funds and schedule maintenance tasks. The promising demonstration of simulation-based optimization shows the applicability of the proposed methodology to network-level and component-level maintenance planning and scheduling.