The impact of monitoring on decision making

Bridge managers often make decisions based on experience or common sense, somehow regardless of the action suggested by instrumental monitoring systems. Managers weigh differently the monitoring results based on their prior perception of the state of the structure and make decisions keeping in mind the possible effects of the action they can undertake. We propose a rational framework to include the impact of these issues on decision making, based on the concept of Value of Information. The methodology is demonstrated by the case study of the Streicker Bridge, a newly built pedestrian bridge on Princeton University campus.