We introduce a new concept that enables a decision analyst to explore and quantify the benefits of decision alternatives that exceed the scope of a pre-posterior decision or value of information analysis. This new concept, namely, the expected value of sample information and action analysis, facilitates to examine decision alternatives that become only possible with additional knowledge. The conce

The paper presents research results from the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network INFRASTAR in the field of reliability approaches for decision-making for wind turbines and bridges. This paper addresses the application of Bayesian decision analysis for installation of heating systems in wind turbine blades in cases where an ice detection system is already installed in order to allow

Implementation of Bridge weigh-in-motion (B-WIM) measurements and probabilistic approaches in bridge assessment may reveal hidden bridge reserves and changes in reliability levels over their projected service life, providing a key input for optimized bridge management. But, as scientists and engineers and at the same time vendors of our own ideas, we need to be in position to present the results o

Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) has been a subject of major international research in Civil Engineering structures mainly during the last 20 years. While in the beginning, SHM mainly focused on sensor developments, nowadays practical implications regarding the acquisition, collecting and processing of data are being addressed. Indeed, SHM systems have been evolving along the two last decades an

To capture highly dynamic biological processes at cellular resolution is a recurring challenge in biology. Here we show that combining selective-volume illumination with simultaneous acquisition of orthogonal light fields yields three-dimensional images with high, isotropic spatial resolution and a significant reduction of reconstruction artefacts, thereby overcoming current limitations of light-f

BACKGROUND: It has been proposed that pregnant women and their fetuses may be particularly at risk for poor outcomes due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. From the few case series that are available in the literature, women with high risk pregnancies have been associated with higher morbidity. It has been suggested that pregnancy induced immune responses and cardio-vascular changes can exagg

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is the most common movement disorder and second most common neurodegenerative disease. The principal hallmark of the pathology is represented by a loss of mesencephalic Dopaminergic neurons (mesDA) that reside in the Substantia Nigra pars compacta (SNpc). Another feature of the disease is represented by formation of abnormal protein aggregates, known as Lewy Bodies (LBs),

This paper provides an overview, insights, results and a classification related to development and analyses of case studies within the scientific networking project COST Action TU1402 on the value of Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) information. With an outline of the framework and approaches, a procedure on how to quantify the value of SHM information on the basis of the Bayesian decision theor

This paper describes the assessment of the cost efficiency of risk mitigation strategies for terrorist attacks with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) for an iconic bridge structure. The assessment is performed with a decision theoretical framework building upon very recent advances in the COST Action TU1402 on Quantifying the Value of Structural Heath Monitoring. The decision scenario is formula

Structural monitoring (e.g. structural measurement and damage detection) and inspections have been widely applied as part of structural maintenance. However, the potential of using the obtained information is not yet fully exploited to update the structural reliability and support the maintenance and operation strategy. This paper describes the foundations, limitations, and characteristics of meas

Identifying optimal inspection and repair strategies for offshore jacket structures is a challenging task. We present an approach, which is based on recent developments in the field of risk-based operation and maintenance planning at the structural system level. The approach utilizes heuristics to define inspection and repair strategies at the system level and to reduce the search space of possibl

This paper addresses the effects of the deterioration on the value of damage detection information. The quantification of the value of damage detection information for deteriorated structures is based on Bayesian pre-posterior decision analysis, comprising structural system performance models, consequence, benefit and costs models and damage detection information models throughout the service life

Over the last decade, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been used for monitoring construction and operation of civil infrastructure, as well as industrial facilities and power plants. Their operational simplicity along with time-and-cost-related benefits have already rendered them attractive for structural surveying. Nevertheless, the field of UAV research currently lacks a targeted employment

This paper describes the assessment of the cost efficiency of risk mitigation measures for terrorist attacks with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) for an iconic bridge structure. The assessment is performed with a decision theoretical framework building upon very recent advances in the framework of the COST Action TU1402 on Quantifying the Value of Structural Heath Monitoring. The decision scen

This paper addresses how the value of damage detection information depends on key parameters of the Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) system including number of sensors and sensor locations. The Damage Detection System (DDS) provides the information by comparing ambient vibration measurements of a (healthy) reference state with measurements of the current structural system. The performance of DDS

Damage detection systems (DDSs) provide information on the integrity of structural systems in contrast to local information from inspections or non-destructive testing (NDT) techniques. In this paper, an approach is developed that utilizes DDS information to update structural system reliability and integrate this information into risk and decision analyses. The approach includes a novel performanc

Prediction of the service lifetime of concrete structures with respect to chloride ingress involves a number of parameters that are associated with large uncertainties. Hence, full-scale measurements are strongly in demand. This paper begins by summarizing statistical distributions based on measurements taken from the Gimsøystraumen Bridge in Norway. A large number of chloride profiles are availab

Decision analysis is often used to help decision makers choose among alternatives, based on the expected utility associated to each alternative as function of its consequences and potential impacts. Environmental impacts are not always among the prioritized concerns of traditional decision making. This has fostered the development of several environmental problems and is nowadays a reason of conce

This article introduces an approach and framework for the quantification of the value of structural health monitoring (SHM) in the context of the structural risk and integrity management for systems. The quantification of the value of SHM builds upon the Bayesian decision and utility theory, which facilitates the assessment of the value of information associated with SHM. The principal approach fo