PONTIS, Implementation and Operation: Iowa DOT and Counties, Phase III: Implementation and Operation

Project Details
STATUS

Completed

START DATE

09/01/02

END DATE

09/30/08

RESEARCH CENTERS InTrans, CTRE, MTC
SPONSORS

Iowa Department of Transportation
Midwest Transportation Consortium

Researchers
Principal Investigator
Omar Smadi

Director, CTRE

Co-Principal Investigator
Fouad S. Fanous
Co-Principal Investigator
Brent Phares

Bridge Research Engineer, BEC

Student Researcher(s)
Krishna Kallam
Patrick Stein

About the research

The Iowa DOT currently owns and maintains over 4,000 bridges and culverts on the state highway system. With heightened concern for the condition of these aging structures, methods for assessing and maintaining the structural performance of in-service bridges have become vital to the preservation of Iowa’s bridge network. An economical data acquisition system that is portable and can be efficiently used on bridge structures could supplement visual inspections with field-measured values. By pursuing simplicity in the system interface and installation, tests could be completed by persons with limited engineering background. This concept can prevent bridges from being replaced that are thought to be structurally deficient and help estimate bridge condition in the database. This report summarizes a research project for the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) to develop, implement, and operate an integrated bridge asset management system for the state of Iowa. The system is Pontis, first developed in 1989 and currently used by around 45 transportation agencies, both in the United States and internationally. This system will enable the Iowa DOT to make objective, cost-effective, and timely decisions regarding bridge maintenance, rehabilitation, and replacement.


Funding Sources:
Iowa Department of Transportation ($75,004.00)
Midwest Transportation Consortium
Total: $75,004.00

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