Analysis of a Concrete Bridge using BIM and 3-D Reconstruction Technique

Abstract

Visual inspections are the initiating procedures for any structural health assessment method. In civil engineering structures, visual inspections have become more challenging because of the massiveness of the structures. In case of bridges, which are constantly exposed to dynamic loads (such as wind and traffic loads), the health inspection procedures involve heavy machinery, thus, disrupting the traffic flow. This research was aimed at addressing the said challenge by using Building Information modeling and 3D reconstruction technique, which not only provides data for visual inspection, but is also capable of producing a 3D finite element model for static or dynamic analysis. Utilizing these capabilities of BIM and 3D reconstruction techniques, it was found that 3d reconstruction has great potential in its applications in civil engineering.