Web-GIS Based Bridge Information Database Visualization Analytics and Distributed Sensing Framework
Analytics
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Abstract
The national bridge system plays very important role in society operations ensuring mobilities that can sustain social and economic growth. Recent increasingly growing concerns about the safety of existing bridges are shared by highway agencies at all levels of government, including federal, state and municipal. To provide a user-friendly and effective environment and services for accessing and analyzing the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) database, a powerful bridge data management system needs be developed to assist the bridge managers or professionals to manage and maintain effectively and efficiently the national bridge system. The objective of this research is to develop a Web-GIS (geographic information system) based bridge information database visualization analytics and distributed sensing framework for nation-wide bridge system management. This is accomplished by integrating modern technologies including GIS, Internet, database, remote sensing, visualization, and smartphone technologies. The objectives of this study include: 1) establishment of a system framework for effective use of current available bridge condition data and volunteering sensing data; 2) development of visualization and visual analytic applications appropriate for bridge information; 3) development of user-defined criteria query for decision-making support; and 4) development of a remote sensing database to aid engineers and other professionals in accessing, retrieving and manipulating information from the bridge database. The citizen-based sensors for bridge monitoring utilize voluntary information-sharing from individuals as a monitoring technique.The Web-GIS based Bridge Management System (BMS) framework developed in this research allows centralized data collection and data visualization analytics at any place and any time. It is intended as a critical step towards rapid bridge diagnostics using an integrated sensing data approach. Current bridge management is predominantly at state level. Furthermore, by adopting the "citizen sensor" concept, public data can be added into the bridge database as additional information for bridge management.The outcome of this research is a framework called: "Bridge-WGI." The six critical modules formed the core of the framework, which are: 1) bridge database systems; 2) general bridge information visualization; 3) bridge information analytical visualization; 4) user-defined criteria query; 5) citizen sensing application in bridge monitoring; and 6) remote sensing database application.The Bridge-WGI framework demonstrates the capabilities of Web-based BMS can be accomplished via the integration of several technologies. These capabilities include: 1) application of volunteering sensing; 2) flexible accessibility via Internet; 3) several advanced visualization of bridge data; 4) bridge data integration; and 5) online user-defined query for decision making support.