Digital Bridges Project

Advancing Bridge Management through AI, IoT, and Circular Economy Principles

Background

Sweden’s aging infrastructure, comprising nearly 30,000 bridges, faces increasing challenges related to safety, cost, and environmental impact. Traditional inspection methods, which rely on periodic subjective visual assessments, are no longer sufficient. The Digital Bridges Project integrates two key initiatives to create a comprehensive AI-driven digital platform. The first initiative focuses on structural health monitoring and predictive maintenance, enabling real-time data analysis for proactive management. The second initiative incorporates circular economy metrics, ensuring that sustainability and resource optimization are embedded in decision-making. Additionally, the project integrates life cycle assessment and analysis, providing a holistic approach to extending bridge lifespans while minimizing environmental impact and maintenance costs.

Aims & Objectives

The Aim is to develop and implement a robust Bridge Management System (BMS) that facilitates predictive maintenance and life cycle management of Sweden’s bridges, enhancing safety, sustainability, and cost-efficiency.

The objective is to deliver a solution that predicts structural performance through advanced data analysis. These analyses integrate rigorous sustainability assessments—such as Structural Health Monitoring (SHM), Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), Life Cycle Cost (LCC), and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) — to quantify structural health and reduce environmental impacts while optimizing resource use.

Facts

Financer: Vinnova, Tillväxtverket, Trafikverket

Partners: Luleå University of Technology, Ramboll AB External link., iTid Tarinfo AB External link., Eistec AB External link., ThingWave AB External link.

Timeline: 11–2024 to 05–2026

Principal Investigator: Gabriel Sas

Team members: Vedad Coric, Chao Wang