Bentley to deliver Bridge Information Modeling technology

Bentley Systems, Inc., announced a strategic initiative to deliver Bridge Information Modeling (BrIM) technology for the entire bridge lifecycle. A new business unit, Bentley BrIM, will drive the initiative under the leadership of Bentley Senior Vice President Gabe Norona. Bentley BrIM will provide broad access to newly acquired advanced bridge products in Bentley’s comprehensive software portfolio. In addition, it will integrate these and other related Bentley products to provide an interoperable, data-managed bridge solution for planning, design, engineering, analysis, fabrication, construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation. According to Bentley, this end-to-end solution will enable the transportation industry to efficiently and effectively address the challenges of new and aging bridges and deliver sustainable, long-lasting infrastructure.

CEO Greg Bentley said, "Growing demand for new bridges in developing economies and aging bridges in developed economies are behind burgeoning workloads and mounting backlogs for bridge engineers around the world. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, in the United States alone, more than a quarter of the nation’s almost 600,000 bridges are deficient, and more than $65 billion could be invested immediately in a cost-beneficial way to replace or otherwise address existing bridge deficiencies.

"Having the world’s largest team of software developers dedicated to BrIM, Bentley is uniquely positioned to help engineers meet this demand."

Gabe Norona added, "Bentley’s BrIM initiative will focus on new approaches to bridge project delivery and bridge sustainability. By closing the gaps in traditional bridge lifecycle processes and facilitating the flow of digital information between the various stages, BrIM will enable bridge designers, builders, and owner-operators to easily share a common bridge information model. This will help optimize design decisions and lead to process innovation, largely through information reuse."

During the last year, Bentley extended its commitment to sustaining bridge infrastructure through acquisition of TDV GmbH, LEAP Software, and C.W. Beilfuss & Associates—all leading bridge engineering and operations technology providers. Bentley says that these additions to its portfolio result in the most comprehensive offering of bridge software available to the infrastructure community:

Bentley Bridge RM—structural engineering, design, and analysis software used worldwide for large- and medium-span bridges, including cable-stayed bridges.

Bentley LEAP Bridge—a parametric, integrated design and analysis solution for pre-cast, cast-in-place, reinforced, and post-tensioned concrete, an industry standard in place at 38 U.S. state departments of transportation (DOTs), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), city and county agencies, and engineering consultancies.

Bentley BridgeModeler and Bentley LARS—companion products for bridge load-rating, analysis, and analytical modeling for existing and planned bridges offering conformance with the latest AASHTO bridge design specifications and interface to the AASHTO BRIDGEWare database.

Bentley SUPERLOAD for advanced oversize/overweight vehicle permitting and routing that takes full account of bridge load-rating and analysis data.

Bentley BrIM will establish intra-operability among these products, as well as other Bentley products relevant to bridge projects, including Bentley Rebar, GEOPAK Bridge, InRoads Bridge, and ProjectWise. Bridge professionals will benefit from streamlined workflows, increased productivity, and the ability to more effectively operate and manage bridge infrastructure.

For more information about Bentley’s BrIM initiative, visit www.bentley.com/brim.

BrIM Track at BE Conference 2008
Leaders in the bridge industry are encouraged to participate in BE Conference 2008, taking place May 28-30 in Baltimore, Md. The conference will provide infrastructure professionals an inclusive and engaging environment to share best practices and learn about Bentley solutions from the leading provider of infrastructure software. Included in the program will be a special BrIM track that will bring together influential bridge owner-operators, policy makers, engineering consultants, and contractors to explore new technology, new methods of project delivery, and the influence of bridge information modeling. The discussions will go well beyond design to problems ranging from maintenance of traffic to constructability and risk mitigation. For more information about BE Conference 2008, go to www.bentley.com/beconference.