Toward an Egyptian Bridge Management System

A prototype bridge management system for concrete bridges in Egypt (EBRMS) is built and tested. The proposed system has the ability to record different inventory data, has tools for condition rating, priority ranking and cost optimization at both bridge and network levels. Condition rating is based on the type, extent, and severity of defects and urgency of intervention, all based on observations made during the inspections. It also takes into account the importance of the deteriorated elements. Priority ranking is evaluated on the basis of a knowledge-base stored in the system. It is calculated using four parameters: condition rating; remaining service life; safety index; and impact of the structure on the network. The developed framework of EBRMS consists of three main modules: database and inspections, condition rating and decision making modules. Details of each of the system capabilities are based on the published research work, mainly on the BRIME project. Testing and verification of the proposed scheme are carried out using a virtual bridge network and available published data as the knowledge base. Twelve actual bridges of different types (slab and beam, box girder and slab types) at different locations and under varying service conditions are assumed in the virtual network. Various scenarios of damage states, imposed policies and budget constraints were assumed for testing and validation. All results were reasonable and within acceptable domain.