Using Building Information Modeling to Track and Assess the Structural Condition of Bridges [Research Brief]

2016Research briefPDFTech ReportMPC 16-310 (project 450)Bridge management systemsBridge superstructuresBridgesCase studiesDeteriorationEvaluation and assessmentInspectionLoad factorMethodologySoftwareStructural health monitoringHighwaysBridges and other structuresHighwaysMaintenance and PreservationUnited StatesColoradoMountain Plains ConsortiumAtadero, Rebecca AnneClevenger, Caroline M.Ozbek, Mehmet E.McGuire, Brendan MichaelColorado State UniversityUniversity of Colorado at DenverUnited States. Dept. of Transportation. Research and Innovative Technology AdministrationUniversity Transportation Centers Program (U.S.)Mountain Plains ConsortiumUS Transportation CollectionThis study investigated the capabilities of several existing BIM software packages to determine their applicability to the challenge of documenting bridge condition data. Specifically, we considered the ability of the software to accept, store, and export information about the type, location, and severity of bridge damage. Autodesk Revit was identified as the software package with existing capabilities most adaptable to the bridge documentation problem, and the ability to document bridge condition with Revit was demonstrated on a sample bridge. Subsequently, to demonstrate the utility of storing the additional bridge condition data an analysis tool was written using Visual Basic in Microsoft Excel that could accept the exported condition information and use it to calculate load ratings for bridge elements and approximate repair quantities.74