Accelerating the Design and Delivery of Bridges with 3D Bridge Information Modeling: Pilot Study of 3D-Centric Modeling Processes for Integrated Design and Construction of Highway Bridges

摘要

This project addresses the development and implementation of 3D modeling(instead of 2D drafting) as a means of streamlining the delivery of highway bridges. Current U.S. practice of information transfer during the bridge design/fabrication/ construction/operation processes is fragmented. These processes involve repeated manual transcription of data which is error-prone, approvals (e.g., of shop drawings) which are time-consuming, and formats that beg for standardization to facilitate electronic information transfer. Without such standards, electronic information exchange is impossible. This report first surveys the shortcomings of current piecemeal applications of information and automation technologies. It then explores the promise of parametric 3D bridge information modeling (BrIM) as an enabling technology for accelerating the design and delivery of bridges in the context of practical example bridge structures. These examples are used as a basis for articulating aspects of the envisioned accelerated bridge delivery process, to provide a glimpse of current technologies that are availableto streamline the process of bridge delivery, and to articulate anticipated advances in the future that would be expected and needed to fully transfer these nascent technologies into industry practice in order thereby to facilitate accelerated bridge delivery.