This paper was presented at the `Strategic investments in structures' session. On the past 4 years our firm has been involved in the development of a comprehensive, software based bridge management system for three large regions in southern Ontario. We currently manage, on their behalf, over 450 bridge structures with our system generating 10-year construction programs upon which they base their rehabilitation and bugetary planning. It is our hope that we may share what we have learned over these 3 years to help foster a better understanding of asset management in general and the important role it plays as a tool to those responsible for our nations' infrastructure. In this paper the researchers will address the basic principles of asset managemtn starting with methods and scope of data acquisition, predictive modelling, structured decision making and the difference between project versus network level management. Treatments will be discussed in terms of the differences between pre-emptive and rehabilitative measures and the importance of combining the two in some instances. Problems unique to bridge management systems will be discussed such as the difficulty in establishing composite performance indices and the difference between technical and salvage-value based performance modelling. The researchers will also examine the basic principles of economic prioritization. Finally, they will discuss the minimum reporting capabilities to be expected from a well designed bridge management system. (A)
Samenvatting