BRIDGE SOFTWARE VALIDATION GUIDELINES AND EXAMPLES

NCHRP 12-50 is a research project to investigate current software validation procedures and to provide an improved method of verifying bridge design and analysis software. The removal of errors in bridge design and analysis software has a far-reaching impact on safety assurance in the design and rating of bridges. Bridge engineers are relying on automated computations at an increasing rate. Automation of bridge computations is now an integral part of routine practice. In theory, this software should be error free--yet perfect software remains elusive. The number of bridge types and geometric configurations, materials, and loadings creates a large solution domain that must be addressed. The validation method currently being developed involves the automated generation of a series of test suites. Each test suite will contain input files for several analysis engines (software packages) and the results of the analyses and designs performed by these engines. The automatic generation of input files for a particular software package enables thousands of different cases to be created in a matter of minutes. Similarly, the output from the engines can be compared automatically using database or spreadsheet software. Each problem generated will have slightly varying input parameters. The goal is to increment the various input parameters to test as many articles of the Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) Specifications as possible. This novel, systematic, and automated approach provides guidelines that can be applied to a host of computational processes associated with bridge engineering, specification development, and software maintenance. Some examples are presented to illustrate the process.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.3141/1696-17
• Summary URL:
  http://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=BRIDGE+SOFTWARE+VALIDATION+GUIDELINES+AND+EXAMPLES&author=M.+Mlynarski&author=J.+Puckett&author=C.+Clancy&author=B.+Goodrich&author=M.+Jablin&author=W.+Smyers&author=K.+Wilson&publication_year=2000
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309071224
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appears in Transportation Research Record No. 1696, Fifth International Bridge Engineering Conference, April 3-5, 2000, Tampa, Florida, Volume 1. The revised name of this series is Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Mlynarski, M
  • Puckett, J A
  • Clancy, C M
  • Goodrich, B L
  • Jablin, M C
  • Smyers, W
  • Wilson, K
• Conference:
  • Fifth International Bridge Engineering Conference
  • Location: Tampa, Florida
  • Date: 2000-4-3 to 2000-4-5
• Publication Date: 2000

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 143-151
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1696
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge engineering; Bridges; Calculation; Design; Load and resistance factor design; Safety; Software; Specifications; Validation
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00789692
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309071224
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Mar 3 2000 12:00AM