Challenge

The Bridge Management Division at INDOT is responsible for bridge inspection, bridge asset management, bridge preservation, the hydraulic design of bridges, culverts, storm sewers, and detention ponds.

INDOT needed to validate accuracy of new bridge models and quantify any deviation of actual measurements of condition from the predicted baseline.

Solution

INDOT received the results of a research project undertaken by Purdue University. Purdue developed new deterioration models for the State’s bridges for the deck, superstructure, and substructure components. Based off of these new models INDOT and Deighton were to use dTIMS to validate the predictive accuracy of the new models and quantify any deviation of actual measurements of condition from the predicted baseline.

The project entailed the following tasks:

1. 2010 condition data was collected and imported. 2010 historic data was used as the known actual condition of the bridge network and was used as the starting point for the analysis.

2. Defined deterioration models, developed by Purdue University, that were to be validated in dTIMS.

3. Imported the actual work done by INDOT in the Bridge Management System from 2010 to 2016. 


4. Loaded the 2016 actual bridge condition data into dTIMS. This data was to be used as the target condition for the analysis performed on the historic 2010 data.

5. Reviewed and compared the results of the historical analysis and the actual condition.

6. After reviewing the results, variances between predicted and actual condition were quantified, deterioration models were refined as required, and bridge models were re-defined in the dTIMS.

Results

INDOT is able to accurately predict the future deterioration of bridge assets with a high degree of confidence. The process presented is repeatable and can be applied across all assets managed within dTIMS.