Bridge Management Systems

This study gathers information on current practices that senior managers at transportation agencies use to make network-level decisions on resource allocations for their bridge programs. In particular, the study explores how agency bridge management systems are employed in this process. Information was gathered through a review of literature on U.S. and international bridge management, a survey of U.S. and Canadian transportation agencies, and 15 in-depth interviews with state DOT executive and bridge managers.

Accompanying CD-ROM contains ... "[u]sers manual and software for NCHRP Report 590: Multi-objective optimization for bridge management systems."--CD-ROM label.

This book gathers the latest advances and innovations in the field of quality control and improvement of bridges and structures, as presented by international researchers and engineers at the 1st Conference of the European Association on Quality Control of Bridges and Structures (EUROSTRUCT 2021), held in Padua, Italy on August 29 – September 1, 2021. Contributions include a wide range of topics such as testing and advanced diagnostic techniques for damage detection; SHM and AI, IoT and machine learning for data analysis of bridges and structures; fiberoptics and smart sensors for long-term SHM; structural reliability, risk, robustness, redundancy and resilience for bridges; corrosion models, fatigue analysis and impact of hazards on infrastructure components; bridge and asset management systems, and decision-making models; Life-Cycle Analysis, retrofit and service-life extension, risk management protocols; quality control plans, sustainability and green materials.

Handbook of Concrete Bridge Management provides complete coverage of concrete bridges from planning, design, repair, maintenance, and demolition, with a focus on small- and medium-size bridges. This handbook offers a global overview of bridge management based on the knowledge and experience of the authors, as well as presents rational and objective criteria to aid in decision-making. A classification system concerning defects, their causes, repair techniques and diagnosis methods is included. Project managers, structural engineers, highway engineers, and all other engineers involved with the building, maintenance, and repair of concrete bridges will benefit from this book. About the Authors Fernando A. Branco, Ph.D., is professor and head of the Construction Sector at Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, Portugal. Jorge de Brito, Ph.D., is associate professor at Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, Portugal. Product Reviews Bridges are expected to perform satisfactorily over their expected life span. This practical, user-oriented handbook helps concrete bridge engineers and managers meet this challenge. The key aspects of concrete bridge management are covered in a clear and straightforward way. --Dan M. Frangopol, professor of civil engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder.

This synthesis will be of interest to state department of transportation (DOT) administrators and mid- to upper-level managers; researchers; cost estimators; bridge and general management system engineers; and bridge design, construction, inspection and maintenance engineers; as well as to private industry professionals involved in developing bridge management system (BMS) software and collecting and analyzing BMS cost data. The state of the practice for collecting and managing cost data for BMS is described based on data obtained from a review of the literature and a survey of the state DOTs. This report describes BMS cost data for work done by contract and in-house forces for state and local governments. It includes project-level cost estimation as well as the collection and management of data for network- level cost models. The various cost estimate methods for replacement; maintenance, repair and rehabilitation; and emergency work are analyzed as are the special requirements of user costs and other special economic data.

The national age distribution of bridges indicates there will be growing replacement needs for structures built during the 1930s and earlier, and growing deck repair and replacement needs for those built during the Interstate construction era. Agencies responsible for managing the nation's bridges must use limited funds as wisely as possible. A Bridge Management System (BMS) can help transportation agencies evaluate current and future conditions and needs and determine the best mix of maintenance and improvement work on a road network over time with and without budget limitations. These guidelines set out the minimum requirements of a BMS capable of providing this type of evaluation. At the minimum, a BMS should consist of both procedures for coordinating various organizational units and technical inputs and a computerized database and decision support tool. These minimum requirements should not be construed as mandates but rather as essential features of a management system capable of best allocating funds to bridges on a network in order to protect safety, preserve the national investment in bridges, and serve commerce and the motoring public. The guidelines describe the scope of the bridge management problem, present the genesis and objectives of BMS, detail the essential features, explain alternative approaches to developing a BMS, recommend implementation steps, address issues concerning integration of infrastructure management systems, and suggest other capabilities an agency may wish to incorporate into its BMS.

This synthesis will be of interest to state department of transportation (DOT) administrators and mid- to upper-level managers; researchers; cost estimators; bridge and general management system engineers; and bridge design, construction, inspection and maintenance engineers; as well as to private industry professionals involved in developing bridge management system (BMS) software and collecting and analyzing BMS cost data. The state of the practice for collecting and managing cost data for BMS is described based on data obtained from a review of the literature and a survey of the state DOTs. This report describes BMS cost data for work done by contract and in-house forces for state and local governments. It includes project-level cost estimation as well as the collection and management of data for network- level cost models. The various cost estimate methods for replacement; maintenance, repair and rehabilitation; and emergency work are analyzed as are the special requirements of user costs and other special economic data.

These proceedings are from The Fourth International Conference on Bridge Management that consolidated the best and, more importantly, up-to-date research conducted in the field of bridge management. Since the first conference in 1990 the scientific art of bridge management has advanced at an astonishing rate. There has been a change from a curative to a preventative approach to bridge management, promising an increased longevity for the next generation of bridges and reduced whole-life costs, and practical and economical solutions have been found for some recurring problems.