Sponsored by ASCE Continuing Education and the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI).

Instructors:
Ehsan Minaie, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE
Nathaniel Dubbs, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE
David Lattanzi, Ph.D., P.E., M.ASCE

Course Length:  1 hour

Since the construction of modern structures, civil engineers have been assisting infrastructure owners with planning, designing, constructing, and inspection of their assets using the methodologies that have been developed empirically. Most of these heuristic approaches are based on simplified assumptions. As infrastructure, especially the bridge inventory, continues to age and becomes a more complicated system, its behavior changes. In these cases traditional methodologies provide a significant challenge to bridge engineers, especially during inspection, load rating, and overall safety assessment of aging infrastructure assets. Even though, in some cases, the current conventional approaches have met the needs of owners, there are an increasing number of situations where they have been proved insufficient. In recent years, engineers and bridge owners have started to (use or deploy or employ) smart technologies and sensing techniques to help with planning, evaluation, and monitoring of their assets.

This webinar explains and discusses the basics of new technologies and techniques being used in the assessment and evaluation of bridges. This course will also discuss and present a general overview of traditional and modern load rating and condition evaluation methods.

Course topics include the current state of transportation assets in the United States, traditional load rating methods, application of finite element modeling in load rating of bridges, instrumentation and load testing of bridges, other applications of sensing and simulation in assessing bridge structures such as structural health monitoring of existing bridges, and application of robotic systems, data analytics, and other autonomous or semi-autonomous technologies in bridge condition assessment.

Primary Discussion Topics

• Current state of transportation assets in the U.S.
• Traditional load rating methods
• Application of finite element modeling in load rating of bridges
• Instrumentation and load testing of bridges
• Other applications of sensing and simulation in assessing bridge structures such as structural health monitoring of existing bridge
• Application of robotic systems, data analytics, and other autonomous or semi-autonomous systems in bridge condition assessment
• Future of robotics in civil engineering

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Discuss the challenges engineers face when dealing with aging bridges and introduce advanced technologies available to civil engineers
• Identify where technology applications in civil engineering are appropriate, and discuss the benefits and shortcomings of different methods such as finite element modeling
• Discuss different types of sensors and simulation technologies
• Describe modern technologies for condition assessment of bridges, such as robotic systems, data analytics, and autonomous and semi-autonomous systems, and will get a better understanding of the future of robotics in civil engineering

Webinar Benefits

• Better understand the risks associated with the aging infrastructure in the U.S.
• Get familiar with the state-of-the-art in technology applications in civil engineering
• Determine when using technology in decision-making makes sense
• Find out the latest in modeling of bridges
• Determine more accurate load carrying capacity of bridges through application of technology
• Augment in-depth inspections with more accurate condition evaluation and load ratings using advanced technologies
• Learn when to apply structural health monitoring systems for bridges
• Learn about modern technologies for condition assessment of bridges, such as robotic systems, data analytics, and autonomous and semi-autonomous systems, and learn when to utilize them

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

Intended Audience

• Bridge owners
• Managers
• Engineers
• Inspectors
• Other stakeholders who partake in decision making with regard to management, preservation, maintenance, or replacement of transportation assets

Webinar Outline

• State of U.S. transportation infrastructure assets
• Risks associated with infrastructure
• Performance of bridges in the U.S
• Our perception of the capacity of a bridge
• Definition of risk
• When we should use technology in decision making
• Understanding the role of technology
• Applications of technology
• Removing load restrictions
• Retrofit design
• Avoid replacement
• Refined load rating
• Fatigue assessment
• Vibration study
• Complex construction
• Operational or maintenance concerns
• Structural identification (St-Id): different approaches
• Different tools: FE modeling, sensing, and simulation
• Real world examples
• Short span bridges
• Medium span bridges
• Long span bridges
• State-of-the-art in bridge condition assessment
• Autonomous and semi-autonomous systems
• Robotic systems
• Data analytics
• What is the future of robotics in civil engineering
• Conclusions