Updating and Enhancing the Indiana Bridge Management System (IBMs)

The Indiana Bridge Management System (IBMS) software package, considered one of the few bridge management system software packages in the United States, possesses several unique features such as multiple criteria analysis but has not been used to its full capabilities because of coding language, outmoded operating system, and other software-related problems. Also, the framework lacked certain considerations such as a preventive maintenance component. In addressing this issue, this study reviewed the existing internal logic of IBMS, and updated some of the cost and deterioration models to include preventive maintenance considerations in the decision tree. Also, the IBMS operating system and programming language were updated, and the entire code was rewritten in a new coding platform. The new software package is provided with a new easy-to-use graphical user interface. In rewriting the code, newly available computer programming techniques were identified and used to enhance the program efficiency. The research product is expected to facilitate identification of alternative actions and predict their impacts and costs, and identify optimal preservation policies. Thus the package offers a rational basis by which defensible policies and programs can be developed, compared and selected within performance and budget constraints. The package will help INDOT to perform short-term and long-term forecasting of physical and financial needs at both project level and network level. The package can be used to generate reports on trends of individual and network bridge condition at the current time or at any future time corresponding to the prescribed bridge actions. In effect, the research product is useful to Indiana bridge management engineers as a decision-support tool in their business practices.