Developing a common framework for a Bridge Management System at national level

Transport infrastructure is directly impacted by climate change as extreme weather conditions account for 10-35% of delays/service interruptions to road and rail infrastructure. The current reactive method of maintaining bridges within these infrastructure systems results in a lack of contingency capacity and ultimately a reduced ability to adapt to uncertain future needs. To allow infrastructure providers to prepare for future events, there is a need to develop asset management systems (AMS) with embedded decision-making support which considers factors such as climate change and population growth. A National approach would enable strategic risk assessment to mitigate the consequences of climate change and enhance resilience across aging infrastructure. This paper aims to establish a common framework for the collection and management of highway bridge data incorporating interoperability across other AMS systems to enable better strategic decision making and fact-based investment optimisation. Common features are identified to enable data linkages across multiple systems which will ultimately facilitate the development of an architecture for a GIS based bridge management system with integrated micro-services systems. The research is based on the current and historic data held by the Northern Ireland Department for Infrastructure, who are currently responsible for the management of all roads and rivers in the region.