3-D model may be the answer to the U.S. bridge maintenance crisis

With nearly 70,000 bridges requiring repair works across the U.S. and an estimated cost of $70 billion, Associate Professor's 3-D model aims in facilitating officials and transportation agencies to monitor the aging infrastructure more efficiently and prioritize the required repair works.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, one out of every nine bridges in the United States appears to be structurally deficient, gradually becoming dangerous for commuters. The Building Information Technology-based software, developed by Assoc. Prof. Zhigang Shen, will produce detailed plans of each of the bridge's structural components and color it according to its inspection. Green will stand for good condition, yellow for monitoring requirement and red will signify need for repairs. Additionally, clicking on a specific bridge component will bring up inspection reports, photos of cracks, corrosion or other damage. Photos taken from different periods can be used to determine the deterioration rate. Among future work, Shen proposes inclusion of sensors for direct data acquisition.

With the first inquiries already on their way, Shen expresses his hopes to attract the FHWA's interest in his software.