Abstract:
Bridge management involves, to a large extent, a matter of bridge data management. At the project level, bridge project data management is complicated, unfortunately, by the proliferation of “stove-piped” software applications (and a variety of accompanying file formats) that have sprung up over the years without due consideration of functional interoperability that would accompany a well-thought-out leveraging of bridge data for multiple purposes through the entire bridge life cycle. This paper describes some of the potential means of leveraging bridge data from the design stage for more aspects of the life cycle than is typical in current practice. The intent is to demonstrate the viability of integrated bridge project delivery and life-cycle management via a prototype integrated system that illustrates representative data exchanges and applications throughout the bridge life cycle. The paper thus provides an update on current FHWA-funded research on this subject (Contract DTFH61-06-D-00037) being conducted by the authors.
