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Greetings from the AASHTOWare Bridge Task Force. We continue to live during very dynamic times. Many of us have been back to the office since last summer and some of us are still working from home. Some have even adopted a hybrid approach of working in the office and working from home. Throughout this all, our contractors and users continue to deliver high quality work – whether it is updated software, bridge designs or bridge load ratings.
We want to take this opportunity to thank someone who has played a huge role in AASHTOWare Bridge’s growth in the last decade. Judy Tarwater will be retiring at the end of 2021 after a fruitful decade of serving as the AASHTOWare Bridge Project Manager. AASHTOWare Bridge has grown tremendously under her guidance and the Task Force’s oversight. While we’re all sad to see her go, we’re excited that she will have more time to dedicate to her lovely family and her sewing projects. Thank you, Judy. You will be missed!
In the modernized BrDR user interface, the ribbon provides, at the top of the window, a logical organization of the commands the end-user will use to create and work on bridges. Bridge Explorer, Bridge Workspace, Library, and Configuration each have their own ribbons. Each tab on the ribbon represents a single focal point for the operation of the commands on the tab, containing groups of commands that act on the single focal point of the tab. The ribbon interface makes access to the commands quicker and apparent; and helps to discover all the features and functionalities in one location. The modernized BrDR user interface provides a balance of the three basics aspects of a good user interface design: discovery, learning, and efficiency.
Historically, agencies have had different approaches to testing and upgrading to new versions of AASHTOWare Bridge Design-Rating (BrDR). Some agencies install new software versions immediately after the release with little to no testing, while other agencies perform extensive in-house testing or refrain from adopting the new version until the version has been out for a while and used by other agencies in a production environment. When implementing a new version, the rating results of a bridge or a group of bridges can change due to a variety of factors. These changes – which can lead to either beneficial or unfavorable results – are due to issue fixes or enhancements included in the new version, code changes, the inclusion of additional information to refine the analysis, or issues introduced in the new version. Regardless of the reason, agencies should be aware of the details of how a new version will affect the way they manage their bridge inventory.
The Load Rating Tool for LFR has been a great success with quite a few states using this feature extensively in their permit routing systems. Building upon this success, this feature will be enhanced to support LRFR in version 7.2 slated for January 2022 release. Service unit contributions from Idaho TD, Illinois DOT, Indiana DOT, Kansas DOT, Louisiana DOTD, Ohio DOT, South Carolina DOT, Virginia DOT, and the support of the BrDR Task Force made this enhancement possible.
Currently, AASHTOWare Bridge Design-Rating has the capability to design and load rate many bridge types and produce various individual reports for each type. Over time, as new capabilities and features have been incorporated into the product, the software has become increasingly complex. Existing BrDR reports have been developed over the life of the product to meet the specific needs identified when new features were introduced. This approach has resulted in BrDR reports existing in various formats and scattered throughout the software, making it difficult to generate a comprehensive bridge report.
New for the 7.1 release scheduled for August 2021 is the introduction of a new Advanced Concrete Member Alternative that can be either reinforced concrete or post-tensioned concrete. The post-tensioned concrete member alternatives allow partial length tendons, which allows regions of the beam to be analyzed as post-tensioned and other regions to be analyzed as reinforced concrete. The new Advanced Concrete Member Alternatives are available in girder system and girder line superstructure definitions. This new feature includes the ability to define post-tensioned I-beams and the ability to use the features of a girder system superstructure definition to model a multi-cell box structure as individual concrete beams.
While AASHTOWare BrDR has long provided support services to its users, a recent re-evaluation and redesign of the process has been undertaken to provide better transparency throughout the review process for all users. Led by Task Force member Mark Bucci, the focus of the redesign includes an increased awareness of the categorization of service requests and the process for managing these requests based on the overall short term/long term benefits and the impact the request will have.
BrM supports the full life cycle of bridge management including bridge inventory management, inspection, life cycle planning, maintenance, capital program project selection, and preliminary planning.
The AASHTOWare Bridge Task Force would like to thank the user community for the AMAZING contributions over the last 12 months ranging from service unit donations, to participation on our Technical Advisory Groups, to pre-solicitation funding commitments to incorporate the proposed changes to the National Bridge Inspection Standards and the new Specifications for the National Bridge Inventory. Your involvement is what ensures the AASHTOWare Bridge Management software remains up to date to meet the ever-changing challenges of bridge inspection and management across the country. Many enhancements were made to AASHTOWare Bridge Management in 2021 and more are coming! This newsletter provides information on the new functionalities available and the upcoming improvements planned for the AASHTOWare Bridge Management software.
LCCA is a cost-centric approach used to select the most cost-effective alternative that accomplishes a preselected project at a specific level of benefits assumed to be equal among project alternatives being considered. While the initial version of the BrM LCCA module – delivered in 2016 – provided a great start, this module was the first of its kind. Version 6.5 provides a completely new and improved version of the LCCA module which is going to significantly help agencies do exactly what they are setting out to do, to complete life cycle cost analysis and maximize the health of their bridge networks.
In a joint development effort, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), and Bridge Management Task Force designed and funded a critical findings/request for actions module that allows agencies to configure critical findings workflows at the agency level. It also allows for the creation, editing, and viewing of a critical finding within BrM, as well as the ability to see a complete list of critical findings for a given bridge and find pertinent information in BrM. A dashboard view for administrative users is also included. The design was reviewed and vetted through multiple iterations and various modifications to ensure it is flexible for use by all agencies.
Version 6.6 will also provide a module for managing user certifications within BrM, another high priority identified by BrM users. The design of and funding for this enhancement was a joint initiative of the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), and the AASHTOWare Bridge Task Force. The module provides agencies with the ability to configure user certifications, experience requirements, and ultimately qualifications within BrM. The software contains logic to identify user qualifications for certain actions by using the certifications and experience information configured to support agency requirements. Additionally, users will be provided with a screen to manage and update their own work experience and certifications, including submission for approvals. The module provides a central location to review submitted user certifications for approval and allows administrators to monitor and manage current certifications and qualifications existing in the system.
Bridge Inspection Software in the Palm of Your Hand
In the July 2020 AASHTOWare bridge products newsletter, the Task Force advised that Mayvue was undertaking the development of a mobile bridge inspection application with the full support of the Task Force. The BrM Mobile Bridge Inspection powered by Mayvue application functions as an add-on to the AASHTOWare Bridge Management software and should be available to agencies through the AASHTOWare catalog in late summer 2021
As you are aware, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) required the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to update the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS). Through a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), FHWA proposed updates to the NBIS to address MAP-21 requirements, incorporate technological advancements including the use of unmanned aerial systems, and address ambiguities identified since the last update to the regulation in 2009. Published in the Federal Register on November 12, 2019, the Federal Register docket accepted comments on the NPRM through March 13, 2020. The FHWA also proposed significant updates to the FHWA Recording and Coding Guide to conform to the NBIS updates and make other improvements. The updated Coding Guide is named the Specifications for the National Bridge Inventory (SNBI). FHWA also accepted comments on this document to the NBIS Federal Register docket through March 13, 2020.
2022 AASHTOWare Bridge User Group Meetings
Rating and Design Bridge User Group (RADBUG)
August 2–3, 2022—New Orleans, LA
RADBUG website: www.aashtobr.org
Bridge Management User Group (BrMUG)
September 13–14, 2022—Minneapolis, MN
BrMUG website: www.brmug.com
For additional information on the bridge product user group meetings, please contact Ryan Fragapane, AASHTOWare Bridge Products Project Manager (rfragapane@aashto.org)
AASHTOWare Bridge Management
Mayvue Solutions, LLC
Contact: Josh Lang, CEO
Phone: 877-462-9883
Email: BrM@mayvue.com
AASHTOWare Bridge Design and Rating
ProMiles Software Development Corporation
Contact: Herman Lee, Project Manager
Phone: 412-981-0809
Email: BrDR@promiles.com
The AASHTOWare technical service program has a rich history of serving its customers and being a leader in bringing the power of technology through automation to the public sector transportation industry.
As we look to the future, it is important that we build on this rich and robust tradition to create the next generation of technology solutions and continuously improve service to our customers. Our success is based on the commitment of hundreds of volunteers, in partnership with the private community, to produce quality products that meet the common needs of our customers. The challenges we face now and into the future are increasingly more complex than in the past. To ensure continued success as we establish our next generation of products and services, we will clearly focus on a mutually agreed-upon set of principles and values to drive our strategic plan, vision, mission, goals, and objectives.
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