Closing the Gap between Bridge Analysis and Detailing

The overall process for bridge construction comprises such different tasks as general layout and tender specification, preliminary design, detailed design, proof checks and finally actual construction works. These tasks are typically performed by different parties, where the subsequently involved engineers base their work on the published documents (specifications, drawings) of the previous party.

Detailed design is an important step in this process, however, it resolves into two different topics:

1. Analysis and proof checks ensuring stability and serviceability of the structure during construction and over its lifetime, and

2. Reinforcement detailing and production of respective construction drawings.

Many software products have been developed in the past decades to support these tasks. However, although these tasks are linked together we have mostly two separate software tools, an analysis package and a CAD package for reinforcement detailing and drawing production. This means that the engineer has to assess the analysis results, defining the detailing requirements based on these results, and re-entering a lot of data in the CAD system to create the required drawings.

An initiative to close this gap has recently been started as a joint venture between Tennessee DOT and Bentley Systems. It aims especially at precast girder bridges and intends to allow for a straightforward progress from analysis to detailing and drawing production with using the same database. The paper explains the basics the software solution, describes the dataflow and outlines the applied procedure.