Introduction - Computational Analysis and Design of Bridge Structures - page 13

in which a set of detailed drawings could be produced in addition to a set of
text reports of structural analysis and design code checking.
In the first decade of the twenty-first century, technologies including
computer hardware or software, wide area network (WAN) communica-
tion, and parallel computing advanced greatly. As a result, bridge analy-
sis and design tools have advanced from two-dimensional (2D) simplified
methods to three-dimensional (3D) detailed methods, from plain console-
type operations to intuitive graphical user interfaces (GUIs). Many non-
linear problems are now commonly addressed in routine bridge structural
analyses. Detailed construction processes are able to be simulated step by
step. Many big commercial FEA vendors have had their general-purpose
FEA systems expanded to cover special issues found in bridge analysis and
design. More sophisticated 3D graphical modeling tools are now available
in bridge design firms and institutes.
In recent years, the swift advancement of computer and graphics hard-
ware, such as multiple processing cores, 3D rendering or visualization,
fast float-point calculation speed, and vast memory capacity, has dras-
tically increased the potential of computer technology application in
bridge engineering. At the same time, fundamental software technolo-
gies, including system development and integration, parallel program-
ming, 3D graphics modeling and virtual reality, database and geographic
information system (GIS), Internet communication, and cloud comput-
ing, have long been ready for a revolution in engineering application
development. Although computer applications in bridge analysis and
design have greatly progressed, its advancement falls far behind the prog-
ress of fundamental technologies and is not in pace with applications in
other fields. Current bridge software packages provide engineers a typi-
cal process of analysis and design (1) to establish and analyze a bridge's
mechanical model, (2) to check design code for each component based on
analysis results, and (3) to resize components or adjust structural dimen-
sions and repeat the earlier process if necessary. A new era of computer
technology applications is in demand by bridge engineers and transporta-
tion administrators.
1.5 outLook on anaLysIs and desIgn
of BrIdges
Based on the current availability and future potential, high-performance
computer hardware and advanced software technologies provide an unprec-
edented opportunity to develop a new generation of analysis and design
systems so as to benefit not only new bridge design but also routine load
rating and maintenance of existing bridges. There will be several aspects in
the analysis and design of bridges that demand great enhancements.