# Presentation: 290352

## Pontis ModelingApproach Overview

***presented by*****Cambridge Systematics, Inc.**
**May 2004**

**Pontis Modeling****Approach Overview**

## Outline

**What is Pontis?**
**Developing a preservation****policy in Pontis**
**Simulating bridge conditions**
**New modeling features in Pontis**
**Improved deterioration model updating**
**Performance targeting for the long-term preservation model**
**Other improvements**
**Information resources**

## What is Pontis?

**Windows-based bridge management system (BMS) with functionality for:**
**Recording bridge inventory and inspection data**
**Developing an optimal preservation policy**
**Simulating conditions and generating work candidates**
**Developing a bridge program**
**Used by over 45 agencies throughout the U.S. and abroad**
**Originally developed for the FHWA, now owned by AASHTO with Cambridge Systematics as AASHTO’s contactor**
**One component of AASHTO’s BRIDGEWare Suite**

## What is Pontis?Key Features of Pontis

**Representation of a bridge as a set of structural elements**
**Recommendation of an optimal preservation policy**
**Extensive functionality for program simulation**
**Recommends preservation and improvements**
**Considers agency and user costs**
**Predicts a broad range of performance measures, with support from the FHWA NBI Translator**
**Support for an Oracle, Sybase or SQL Server Sybase**
**Extensive functionality for customization**

## What is Pontis?Bridge Management Process Supported by Pontis

**Import/****Export****Data**

**Develop****Preservation****Policy**

**Develop****Bridge****Projects**

**Perform****Projects**

**Review****Bridge****Data**

**Inspect****Bridges**

**Perform****Network****Analysis**

**Refine****Results**

**Source: NHI Training Course 134056A ,****Pontis Bridge Management**

## Developing a Preservation Policy in PontisUse of Elements in Pontis

**A bridge in Pontis is represented as a set of structural elements**
**AASHTO defines a set of Commonly Recognized (CoRe) elements, including descriptions of the element and condition states for each**
**Agencies may use the CoRe elements or define their own**
**For each element the user specifies**
**Feasible preservation actions for each state**
**Action costs and deterioration rates (expressed using transition probabilities) for each state**
**Bridges are inspected at the element level**

## Development of a Preservation Policy in PontisElement-Level Representation of a Bridge

## Developing a Preservation Policy in PontisModeling Approach

**Pontis recommends the optimal maintenance policy,****or set of recommended actions for each state, for****each element-environment combination**
**Preservation models are built based****on expert opinion (elicitations)****and inspection history**
**Each element is****modeled independently**
**The preservation models****optimize based on discounted****long-term agency costs using****a Markovian decision model**

## Simulating Bridge ConditionsPurpose of a Program Simulation

**Pontis performs program simulations to **
**Determine current and future needs **
**Predict future performance**
**Develop work recommendations **
**Pontis can be used to determine**
**Conditions predicted based on a given budget**
**Budget needed to achieve a target **
**Given inspector and Pontis recommendations, an agency can use the system to develop its bridge plan**

## Simulating Bridge ConditionsInputs to a Program Simulation

**Bridge inspection data**
**Preservation policy (generated by Pontis)**
**Functional improvement policy and costs**
**Budget**
**Agency business process rules**
**Planned projects**
**Additional simulation parameters**

## Simulating Bridge ConditionsSimulation Results

**Predicted conditions (network and bridge-level)**
**Needs and predicted work**
**Benefits of meeting needs and****performing predicted work**
**Element conditions**
**Health index**
**NBI condition ratings**
**Sufficiency Rating**
**SD/FO status**
**Bridge-level work****recommendations**

## New Modeling FeaturesImproved Deterioration Model Updating

**Deterioration models can be build based on expert opinion (elicitations) and inspection history**
**Recent improvements to the model updating process**
**Better algorithm for using inspection history in the update process**
**Option to specify what****bridges’ history to use****for model updating**
**Ability to rebuild history****or use prior history when****performing successive****model updates**

## New Modeling FeaturesPerformance Targeting in the Preservation Model

**The long-term preservation model is used to specify optimal steady-state conditions**
**Steady-state conditions would result from following a specified policy over a period of many years**
**Pontis solves the long-term optimization model to determine what the annual cost would be to remain in the optimal steady-state condition**
**With Pontis 4.4 a user can add performance targets to the long-term optimization**
**Targets are specified in terms of Health Index**
**Provides long-term steady state funding requirements to achieve a specified performance target**

## New Modeling FeaturesPerformance Targeting Applications

**Determining the cost of meeting agency-defined****performance targets**
**Quantifying the****costs of sub-optimal****bridge conditions**
**Determining long-term****minimum preservation****funding requirements**
**Improved****understanding of****the Pontis-generated****preservation policy**

## New Modeling FeaturesOther Improvements

**Ability to specify bridges exempted from the agency’s functional improvement policy (e.g., historic bridges)**
**Program simulation horizon of up to 99 years**
**Flexibility for entering program simulation inputs in English or metric units**
**Capability for specifying when a bridge should be removed from the inventory at some future point**

## Information Resources

**Web resources**
**FHWA:**
_**[http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/asstmgmt/manag.htm](http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/asstmgmt/manag.htm)**_
**AASHTO:**
_**[http://www.transportation.org/aashto/home.nsf/FrontPage](http://www.transportation.org/aashto/home.nsf/FrontPage)**_
**Pontis software support:**
_**[http://aashtoware.camsys.com](http://aashtoware.camsys.com/)**_
**Documentation**
**Pontis User’s Manual**
**Pontis Technical Manual**
**Referentia for Pontis Training CD**