Recent Development of Bridge Management Systems in Canada

With the aging of its infrastructure, Canada is facing a critical problem to deal with the complex and fragmental issues existing in current infrastructure management. Because Bridge Management Systems (BMSs) are not used universally in Canada, this paper aims at reviewing the current state of BMSs in Canada and suggesting an initiative to build a Canadian National Bridge Inventory. The Bridge Expert Analysis and Decision Support (BEADS) system currently used in Alberta is different from the BMSs of other provinces in its system structure and scope. The BEADS is an important part of a comprehensive system -- Transportation Infrastructure Management System (TIMS). The Ontario BMS integrates the deterioration model, cost model, and business rules for treatment selection and costing, and an analytical framework for calculating and representing information relevant to the decision at hand. The Quebec BMS has three main models (Deterioration Model, Treatment Model, and Cost Model) that are used to create work alternatives at the element, project, and program levels. Pontis is used as the BMS in Manitoba. Pontis can support the complete bridge management cycle, including bridge inspection and inventory data collection and analysis, predicting needs and performance measures for bridges, recommending an optimal preservation policy, and developing projects to be included in an agency’s capital plan. In Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, the BMSs are similar to the Ontario BMS. The remaining provinces and territories in Canada do not have computer-based BMSs. After comparing the above BMSs, the paper discusses a new research project at Concordia University to build a Canadian National Bridge Inventory (CNBI) similar to the NBI used in the U.S.