Bridges are a key part of the UK’s highways and transport system that facilitate connectivity and the transit of communities while keeping them safe, says Nicola Casburn, Solutions Consultant at Brightly Software.
“Currently, it is becoming increasingly difficult for UK councils to manage their bridges because they have less resources to hand. Indeed, local authorities are effectively managing their entire asset networks with shrinking budgets.
In addition, there is a current skills shortage of highly trained engineers that are required to maintain the complexities of bridges and structures. This skills gap is being plugged with contractors – many of whom use their own systems to record the findings of inspections, leading to siloed data across diverse systems.
Other challenges faced by UK Councils managing bridges include: ageing infrastructure, as many bridges were constructed decades ago and require ongoing monitoring to maintain their strength and safety structurally; budget constraints, as limited funding requires prioritisation for the maintenance of tasks, which can lead to deferred repairs and increased costs in the long run; the impact of climate change, as flooding, extreme temperatures and erosion pose growing threats to bridges’ stability; and a lack of a centralised data, which makes long-term planning difficult.”
Leverage technology for smarter asset management
By using digital tools, such as Brightly’s software offering, UK councils can rely on data-driven decisions to help them prioritise critical works, mitigate risks, carry out proactive maintenance and promote the longevity of their assets, including bridges.
Our digital asset management tool, Confirm, is a user-friendly and robust system that supports smart management to facilitate local authorities’ service improvements. It centralises assets to simplify and streamline the processes involved with managing them.
For the management of bridges, Confirm enables inspections to be undertaken according to industry guidance, in a consistent manner, and inspection results can be recorded on-site via the intuitive mobile app. Confirm also supports data analytics; for example, it is able to report on BCI (Bridge Condition Index) condition scores, as well as capture data required for Structures Asset Valuation and Investment toolkit (SAVI) analyses. The intuitive system is also able to manage and prioritise a workbank of maintenance activities that have been
identified.
In addition, the cutting-edge solution continually and intuitively scrutinises information that’s entered; handles complex analytics, and flags inefficiencies to avoid duplication of tasks or spending. The intuitive system generates data and reports, highlighting the presence of all assets in a given area, to enable works to be better planned and prioritised depending on the status of any given asset.
It also facilitates preventative maintenance, helping its users to operate more cost efficiently in the long run.
Although the network of assets supporting UK roads is vast – from bridges and gantries, carriageways and footways, drainage and streetlights, traffic signals and retaining walls – with more detail and understanding of asset behaviours, local authorities can start to proactively manage maintenance schedules based on historical trends. Brightly’s digital tools can help them to achieve this.
Ultimately, Confirm enables councils to manage their bridges’ assets, as well as highways assets, in a single system, allowing for greater resilience, coordination and decision making.”
Learn more about Brightly Software’s digital solutions here.
Pic: Wirestock
