Bridging the Data Gaps

This article describes the Federal Highway Administration's Long-Term Bridge Performance Program (LTBP), which was authorized in 2005 as a strategic 20-year research effort to collect more and better bridge data. The LTBP program's overall objective is to collect, document and maintain high-quality quantitative performance data over an extended period of time from a representative sample of bridges nationwide. The LTBP program will have three components. First, bridges that represent the majority of structure types in the current National Bridge Inspection database will be subjected to a long-term program of detailed inspection and evaluation. The resulting database will support improved design, predictive models and bridge management systems. Second, a subset of these bridges will be outfitted with instruments to permit continuous monitoring of operational performance under all conditions. Third, decommissioned bridges will undergo examination to help improve the knowledge base and the ability to determine the capacity, reliability and failure modes of bridges in a variety of conditions. The immediate short-term needs of the LTBP include the formation of an advisory committee, workshops to seek feedback from the bridge community for formulating future directions and activities of the program, selection of a lead-support technical contractor to help FHWA in operating the program, and preparation for testing and evaluation of the first set of pilot bridges.

• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/81985
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/1586080
• Authors:
  • Ghasemi, Hamid
• Publication Date: 2007-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Photos;
• Pagination: pp 10-13
• Serial:
  • Public Roads
  • Volume: 70
  • Issue Number: 6
  • Publisher: Federal Highway Administration
  • ISSN: 0033-3735
  • Serial URL: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/publicroads/
• Publication flags:

  Open Access (libre)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge design; Bridge management systems; Data collection; Highway bridges; Inspection; Instrumentation; Monitoring; Research projects; Sampling
• Identifier Terms: Long-Term Bridge Performance Program; U.S. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Research; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01054655
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI
• Created Date: Jul 31 2007 7:23AM