2013 Session: 620

• Statistical Identification of Items Important for Evaluating Bridge Conditions
  Abstract: Understanding the relative importance of large number of potential explanatory data items (e.g., deck material, average daily traffic) possibly explaining bridge condition deteriorations will help bridge management agencies better allocate resources for data collection, and simplify the data analysis for more reliable bridge condition evaluation. Previous studies explored how various factors influence bridge deteriorations and prioritize them, but these studies either used data from one geographic region, or used one or two statistical methods for analyzing data from the whole United States (U.S.). Using National Bridge Inventory (NBI) data released in 2010, this paper presents a statistical investigation for better understanding how the relative importance of different explanatory data items vary across regions in U.S. as well as across various bridge condition rating items (e.g., condition ratings of deck and superstructure). Using four statistical methods to rank the relative importance of various explanatory data items recorded in NBI, the authors analyzed the frequencies of these items appear in the top 20 of the generated rankings. The frequency analysis results show substantial variations in the frequencies generated for different bridge condition rating items using data from different regions, while some items are consistently identified as important. In particular, deck material related features of bridges are items not studied in-depth in previous studies while consistently identified as one of the most important data items by all studied statistical methods on data from all studied regions in U.S.
  Authors: Tang, Pingbo; Kannan, Omar; Wang, Junhui; Oh, Jun-Seok; Kwigizile, Valerian
  Authors: Tang, Pingbo; Kannan, Omar; Wang, Junhui; Oh, Jun-Seok; Kwigizile, Valerian
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Bridges and Other Structures; Maintenance and Preservation
  Session: 620
  Paper Number: 13-3442
• Proposed Performance Measure for Bridge Management: Contribution to Network Connectivity and Accessibility
  Abstract: The incorporation of bridge contribution to overall network connectivity, for purposes of systemwide performance measurement, assessment of bridge criticality, or measurement of vulnerability from a network perspective, has always been a challenge for bridge managers. In this study, the topological properties of road networks are considered in order to identify critical bridges using connectivity and accessibility measures. Existing methods of network connectivity and accessibility measures are demonstrated using an example network. Relative connectivity index (RCI) and relative accessibility index (RAI) are proposed as performance measures for network connectivity and accessibility. The interstate road network in Marion County, Indiana is used as a case study in order to demonstrate these proposed performance measures. The results show that these indices can be useful in measuring the contributions of individual links towards connectivity and accessibility of their parent networks and thus for identifying critical bridges. The proposed performance measures are easy to implement and can be applied in bridge management systems for assessing the impact of future new bridges on network connectivity and accessibility, and also for the prioritization of existing bridges for investment on the basis of their contributions to network connectivity and accessibility.
  Authors: Woldemariam, Wubeshet B.; Labi, Samuel
  Authors: Woldemariam, Wubeshet B.; Labi, Samuel
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Bridges and Other Structures; Maintenance and Preservation
  Session: 620
  Paper Number: 13-5125
• Condition Evaluation of the Nation’s Bridge Infrastructure Using Indicators Extracted from National Bridge Inventory Source Files
  Abstract: As bridges continue to age and deteriorate, the Nation is facing significant repair, maintenance andreplacement costs, as well as an increase in safety hazards to the motoring public and a decrease inefficiency to the trucking industry. Bridge conditions are of immediate concern to public safety, economyand national security. Compounding the issue is a chronic lack of adequate resources to performrecommended maintenance and repair, a continual increase in the weight and numbers of heavycommercial vehicles, and a dramatic reduction in the number of new bridges built or replaced annuallyover the last decade. Essential to addressing this issue is a simple to use, easily accessible means to assesscurrent conditions and to identify specific historical trends that may contribute to these conditions. For thepast two decades the primary source of publicly available information on the condition of the nation’sbridge infrastructure has been the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) data files compiled and provided bythe Federal Highway Administration. In 2009 the New Mexico Department of Transportation created asoftware application, the SABIS Bridge Information System, that processes publicly available NBI sourcefiles and provides simplified access to this information for use by technical and non-technical end users.This paper presents the results of efforts by the Research Bureau of the New Mexico Department ofTransportation to examine ten specific indicators of the condition of the nation’s bridge inventory usingdata extracted from these source files. These indicators are described in Federal Report No. MH-2009-13,“National Bridge Inspection Program: Assessment of FHWA’s Implementation of Data-Driven, Risk-Based Oversight”, and pertain primarily to the load rating and posting status of the nation’s bridges.
  Authors: Daniell, Keli T
  Authors: Daniell, Keli T
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Bridges and Other Structures; Maintenance and Preservation
  Session: 620
  Paper Number: 13-0061
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Assessing National Bridge Inspection Standard Metrics Using Data Extracted from National Bridge Inventory Source Files
  Abstract: Transportation agencies face significant challenges in the maintenance, repair and operation of the nation’s bridge infrastructure as these structures continue to age and deteriorate. Compounding the issue is a chronic lack of adequate funding to perform recommended improvements, an increase in the frequency and magnitude of oversized commercial vehicles, and a dramatic reduction in the number of bridges built or reconstructed over the last decade. In response to a USDOT audit recommending the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) develop and implement minimum requirements for data-driven, risk-based bridge oversight during FHWA annual National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) compliance reviews improve, and to develop a comprehensive plan to routinely conduct systematic, data-driven analysis to identify nationwide bridge safety risks for remediation in coordination with the States, FHWA identified twenty three (23) specific metrics to assess states compliance with National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) requirements and to identify potentially at-risk structures using a data driven approach. These metrics were implemented in 2011 and revised in 2012. This paper presents the results of efforts by the New Mexico Department of Transportation to refine a prototype bridge information system developed in 2010 to include a simplified means to query data contained in the National Bridge Inventory Database and to provide the means to prepare reports and randomized lists of bridges in categories related to these metrics to assist federal oversight personnel in assessing state compliance levels and recommending follow-up actions.
  Authors: Daniell, Keli T
  Authors: Daniell, Keli T
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Bridges and Other Structures; Maintenance and Preservation
  Session: 620
  Paper Number: 13-0636
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Performance Measures for Bridge Preservation
  Abstract: A study of performance measures for bridge preservation is reported. Performance measures for bridge preservation use National Bridge Inventory (NBI) general condition ratings, element-level condition states, and average costs to identify bridges to preserve, to determine the annual needs in preservation work and resources, and to quantify the impacts of preservation programs on bridge conditions and program costs. Proposed measures of performance for bridge preservation are demonstrated for the inventory of State-owned bridges in Colorado.
  Authors: Hearn, George
  Authors: Hearn, George
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Paper
  Subject: Bridges and Other Structures; Maintenance and Preservation
  Session: 620
  Paper Number: 13-1551
  Practice-Ready: Yes
• Performance Measures for Bridge Preservation
  Authors: Hearn, George
  Keywords: Bridges; Maintenance; Asset Management; Performance Measures
  Authors: Hearn, George
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Bridges and Other Structures; Maintenance and Preservation
  Session: 620
  Paper Number: 13-1551
• Statistical Identification of Items Important for Evaluating Bridge Conditions
  Authors: Tang, Pingbo
  Authors: Tang, Pingbo
  Year: 2013
  Document Type: Presentation
  Subject: Bridges and Other Structures; Maintenance and Preservation
  Session: 620
  Paper Number: 13-3442