Aims and Objectives

To develop an expert system to enable the optimisation of repairs and maintenance solutions for reinforced concrete highway bridges. This has required the development of a comprehensive database containing the following information and the statistical analysis of the collected data

• typical bridge types
• test methods
• repair specifications
• repair material characteristics
• methods of application
• modelling of deterioration processes

Targets and Deliverables

• analytical models for assessment of long-term performance and stress redistribution have been validated against long-term field data obtained from three bridges
• existing repair specifications have been critically with particular reference to long-term performance characteristics. This has provided recommendations for the updating of repair specifications to take account of current best practice, which have been submitted to the Highways Agency
• a range of databases covering such diverse fields as defects, testing, repair, deterioration processes modelling have been incorporated into a relational database management system which provides a knowledge base for the expert system
• the expert system framework provides flexibility in the representation of information from the knowledge base, a capability for rapid prototyping and full integration with the relational database system. The success of the expert system has relied, to a great extent, on the successful structuring of the knowledge base into rules and frames. This has been validated and verified by hands-on testing by industry end-users.

Results

• a fully working prototype is now available for further validation and development
• the system has proved to be reliable and robust in operation due to the breadth of information available within the knowledge base and to the capacity for continuous updating with new data obtained during use. The system, therefore, has the potential for further developments and is likely to have applications outside the specific area of reinforced concrete bridge repair and maintenance
• development of a commercial bridge management system ready by 2004

Funding bodies: LINK IST; tti Ltd

Industrial Collaborators: Mott MacDonald, M. J. Gleeson UK plc, Flexcrete Ltd, V A Crookes (Contracts) Ltd