The Task Force has released a patch for the AASHTOWare Bridge Management software. This patch release, BrM 6.7.1, includes various fixes reported by agencies since the release of BrM 6.7, provides API security upgrades, and applies numerous other updates. As always, the Task Force recommends upgrading to the latest version of BrM to take advantage of new features, fixes, and upgrades.
The key features of this update make AASHTOWare Bridge Management 6.7.1 a pivotal advancement in bridge asset management:
API Security Upgrade. Users leveraging BrM’s API are required to upgrade to version 6.7.1 to benefit from policy-based security. This enhancement empowers organizations to control API permissions based on user roles, ensuring a granular approach to authorization.
Dashboards Import/Export Feature. Users can now seamlessly download and upload dashboards between their test and production environments with the new Dashboards Import/Export feature.
Bug Fixes and Miscellaneous Updates. From optimizing LCCA policy rules to fixing issues with auth_token in scheduled tasks and ensuring the proper display of columns on mapping options, this update aims to create a more reliable and efficient platform.
AASHTOWare Bridge Management 6.7.1 provides users with a more secure, efficient, and user-friendly platform. Upgrade to BrM 6.7.1 today to unlock these powerful features and stay at the forefront of bridge management technology.
The AASHTOWare Bridge Design and Rating Task Force is pleased to deliver version 7.5.0 of the AASHTOWare Bridge Design (BrD) and AASHTOWare Bridge Rating (BrR) products and the combined Design and Rating product (BrDR).
The 7.5.0 release adds the following capabilities and features:
Next Generation of Report Tool Phase 1 – New reporting framework and report editor. The Phase 1 objective is to establish the foundation for the new Report Tool and include reporting for prestressed concrete bridges. Other bridge types and output data reporting will be implemented in future phases.
MBE 6A.4.2.1 and 6A.5.8 – Changes to concrete shear and evaluation of shear load rating
Use concurrent load effects
Concrete Iterative Shear Rating Control Option
Modify MCFT Strain and Ignore Size Effect Control Options
Improvements to existing capabilities and features
Consistent Rating Method Naming with MBE – Rename LFD rating to LFR and ASD rating to ASR.
Support Copy and Paste Functionality for All UI Grids
New Additions to General Preferences – New preferences for LRFR Condition factor, LRFR System factor, and Additional self-load (kip/ft and %).
Enhance License Mechanism and Cryptographically Secure Bridge Data
BrDR Database Maintenance and Usability Improvements – Support connection pooling, reconnection after disruption, encrypted connection, and Azure multi-factor authentication and integrated active directory.
Analysis Results Comparison Tool Usability Improvements – New user interface for configuration settings, provide additional information in the Dataset Explorer, and relocate dataset storage to the Documents folder.
AASHTO Analysis Engine Maintenance tasks
BSSD-1581 Add Net Area Deduction for Truss LRFR
BSSD-1606 and 1707 Truss Member and Gusset Plate Adjacent Vehicle Analysis
BSSD-1617 Provide Std and LRFD Inputs for Modulus of Rupture
BSSD-1622 Use Concurrent Moments in Cb Calculation
BSSD-1880 Provide Input for Maximum Aggregate Size
BSSD-1940 Improve 3D Mesh Generation to Limit Small Elements
BSSD-2370, 2708, and 2738 Truss Gusset Plate Shear Analysis Improvements
BSSD-3333 Consider Variable Axle Spacing for LRFR Permit Loads
Top voted RADBUG enhancements
BSSD-1585 Modeling and Analysis with Square Rebars
BSSD-1824 Allow LFR of Curved Steel Spans Greater Than 300 feet
BSSD-3109 Improve Culvert Design Tool Final Iteration Reporting
BSSD-3223 Improve Load Rating Tool Precomputed Data Window
BSSD-3552 Concrete LRFR Moment Redistribution
Special Notes:
For the Advanced Concrete Multi-Cell Box Superstructure LFR and LRFR task originally planned for the 7.5.0 release, the testing is currently in progress and the task has been rescheduled for the 7.5.1 release.
The existing BrDR license mechanism has been enhanced for the 7.5.0 release.
A new “AASHTOWare Bridge Design & Rating Desktop Service” will be deployed while installing BrDR to manage instances of BrDR. This desktop service does not require any additional maintenance or input by the user during installation.
All users, regardless of their license type, will be required to have an active license when running BrDR. The license can be deployed as a part of the silent installation.
BrDR XML Report Viewer – With Microsoft’s deprecation of Internet Explorer, users may no longer be able to use the browser for reviewing Report Tool files. To circumvent this issue, a BrDR XML Report Viewer is available. Details on this viewer are provided in Technical Note 70.
The 7.5.0 release download package, with Bridge Design, Bridge Rating, or both, is provided in accordance with your AASHTO license agreement. Installation instructions are provided within the AASHTOWare Bridge Startup Guide in the download package.
Software distribution is processed based on the information the organization provides when the software is licensed. The 7.5.0 release download package will be distributed to the organization’s shipping and end-user designee. Software distribution to all licensees will be completed within 5 working days from this announcement. A follow-up email will be sent upon completion and provide information on the learning resources available for the new capabilities and features.
Please direct any questions to AASHTOWare Bridge Design and Rating Technical Support at BrDR@promiles.com.
The AASHTOWare Bridge Task Force product update is provided to keep all AASHTOWare Bridge Management (BrM) software users apprised of recent activity related to the development of the software. The Task Force is committed to providing quarterly updates to maintain communication between the Task Force and those interested in the product.
BrM 6.7 Planned Patch Release(s)
BrM 6.7 was released to the user community in March 2023. It is the last full version of the BrM 6.X software. The Task Force will issue patches to the user community to 6.X on an as-needed basis. Each patch will be prioritized to provide the most important updates with the least amount of impact to the agencies.
The first patch, BrM 6.7.1, is nearing completion. It will include various fixes reported by agencies since the release of BrM 6.7, as well as Optimizer performance and processing time enhancements, plus additional updates and features. The exact release date is still being determined.
As always, the Task Force recommends upgrading to the latest version of BrM, including patch releases, to take advantage of new features, fixes, and upgrades.
BrM 7.0 Update
The development of BrM 7.0 is well underway, and we are excited to demonstrate the new software! The first walk-through occurred on August 31, 2023. Following the walk-through, Mayvue provided login credentials to contributing agencies to access a BrM 7.0 demo site where contributors can see, touch, and feel the new software. This 7.0 demo site will be available until Mayvue updates the contributor cloud-hosted sites to the BrM 7.0 platform. This is scheduled to occur following the second BrM 7.0 walk-through scheduled for October 4, 2023. This upgrade will include the migration of the sites’ early 7.0 release databases to the BrM 7.0 format as well, along with many new page updates throughout BrM. From there, Mayvue will continue to upgrade the contributor sites as development and testing progresses.
The plan is to have Mayvue provide eight walk-throughs to demonstrate the development progress of BrM 7.0. These walk-throughs allow Mayvue to showcase new features, design changes, and performance improvements, while enabling agencies to ask questions, provide feedback, and steer the direction of BrM 7.0 along the way.
We look forward to talking more about BrM 7.0 at the BrMUG and ultimately getting the new software into your hands as soon as possible.
2023 BrMUG (Boise, ID)
BrMUG is next week! This year’s user group meeting will be held on September 19th and 20th at The Grove Hotel in Boise, ID. Please make sure you are registered and review the agenda. It is going to be an action-packed two days with exciting presentations from both users and Mayvue alike. You can find all the needed information here.
We hope to see you there!
BrM Dashboards Continue to Improve!
The BrM 6.7 release provided agencies with the ability to create flexible/configurable dashboards by querying the database. The dashboards are already being heavily adopted, some of which will be demonstrated at the BrMUG. There will also be an after-hours training session on the first day to dive further into the setup and improvement of dashboard queries. We have seen examples of dashboards for inspection management, load ratings, work candidates, and optimization results – and the users are just getting started.
The Task Force recently authorized a dashboard enhancement feature that will be made available to users as part of a BrM 6.7.1 patch release. Currently, users must ‘rebuild’ their dashboard queries in each of their environments. This enhancement reduces risk and saves time by enabling the export and import of dashboards from test to production environments. This feature will be ported into the BrM 7.0 version of the software as well.
AASHTOWare Bridge Mobile Inspection powered by Mayvue
Member Departments and Associate Members wishing to use the AASHTOWare Bridge Mobile Inspection powered by Mayvue can license this application through AASHTO. This is an add-on to the enterprise version of BrM. The mobile application enables agencies to conduct inspections via Android and Apple phone or tablet devices remotely. It works offline and online to allow inspectors to collect inspection information without an internet connection.
Finally, the Task Force would like to recognize Rhode Island DOT, South Carolina DOT, and Idaho Transportation Department for purchasing the AASHTOWare BrM Mobile Inspection powered by Mayvue with their FY2024 BrM license. Each agency is in various states of implementation and working with Mayvue to roll it out to their inspectors. We look forward to showcasing their experience in a future quarterly product update.
The AASHTOWare Bridge Task Force product update is provided to keep all AASHTOWare Bridge Management (BrM) software users apprised of recent activity related to the development of the software. The Task Force is committed to providing quarterly updates to help improve communication between the Task Force and those interested in the product.
BrM 6.7 Released
BrM 6.7 was released to the user community in March 2023. This important release provides a ton of new features requested by the user community including Dashboards, the ability to create and inspect ancillary assets, NBI Conversion Profiles, and various other fixes and enhancements. The 6.7 release will be the last major release until the BrM 7.0 software is available. The Task Force recommends that agencies move to the latest version of the BrM software, when possible, to take advantage of all the new features and be prepared to transition to 7.0. Please reach out to Mayvue to get access to this release or if you need support when upgrading.
Dashboards are Already a Hit!
BrM 6.7 provides agencies with the ability to create flexible/configurable dashboards by querying the BrM database. User-defined queries pull data from the database into visual dashboards. Dashboards are already taking off and some interesting dashboards will be demonstrated at the BrMUG in September. We have seen examples of dashboards for inspection management, load ratings, work candidates, and optimization results – and the users are just getting started.
A webinar was recently held for BrM users to learn how to use the dashboard module to its highest potential, including how to modify the out-of-the-box dashboard that is included in the 6.7 release. The Task Force recommends reviewing the training if you were not able to make it. The recorded webinar can be downloaded here.
The configurable dashboards can be modified to meet your unique preferences or specific agency needs. The dashboard module provides results in summary and visual form (charts and graphs) to display information for all types of users and management. Furthermore, the visual dashboards are a great way to share information in management reports or even the TAMP submittal.
We hope you leverage these powerful tools to create dashboards that work for you, and that you’re willing to share at the next BrMUG!
NBI Conversion Profiles
This 6.7 feature was the highest voted priority by the BrM user community. It allows agencies to subdivide each bridge into its own profile. Previously, a single NBI conversion profile contained the setting of a bridge component, such as one profile for all superstructures. Now an agency can define different conversion profiles for steel and concrete beams, or separate profiles for cables and cast-in-place beams – all of which might have different thresholds of CS3 or 4 that would warrant a poor GCR rating. This enhancement gives users more flexibility and control. This change also allows slab elements to be included in both the deck and super GCR conversions. BrM comes with the FHWA profiles that use their recommended values as a starting point for inspection and the BrM default profiles with values intended to work well in the deterioration modeling. Remember to use the NBI Element Conversion report to help find conversion rates for your agency practices and the subdivisions of your choice.
BrM Early 7.0 Cloud-Hosted Sites Available
As a benefit of contributing to the BrM 7.0 solicitation, participating agencies have received an Early 7.0 cloud-hosted development site to see the progress of the 7.0 transition in real time and assist with their agency’s eventual transition. These sites were made available by Mayvue to contributing agencies in mid-May 2023. The provided sites contain the first release of foundational pieces and will be updated as development progresses (through the BrM 7.0 release for production use). Additionally, Mayvue will be completing webinars as updates are pushed to the sites to keep contributing agencies informed on progress and to discuss the latest features, improvements, and changes. The 7.0 transition is an overhaul of the BrM software to meet the new coding guide changes while updating the BrM framework to build sustainability. We are excited about the progress made to date and how BrM is going to meet the new Federal requirements in the near term.
The Task Force would like to thank the agencies who have contributed to the solicitation and are actively participating in this overhaul. There’s still time for agencies who are interested to participate. Every contribution helps to make the product better. Please reach out to the Task Force, Mayvue, and/or Ryan Fragapane for more information about the benefits and process for contributing.
New BrM Task Force Members
In June 2023, the BrM Task Force and Mayvue will meet in person. The in-person meetings occur quarterly to keep the focus on BrM’s development, and progression, and plan future directions. However, this will be the last meeting that certain members of the Task Force will be attending as their tenure is complete. The Task Force will be adding four new Task Force members! They are:
Justin Alamares, Caltrans
Jacob Armour, Michigan DOT
Ida Narbuvoll, North Dakota DOT
Emily Bickley, South Carolina DOT
We are confident that these individuals will be excellent contributors to the software and advocates for the BrM user community.
Furthermore, we would like to thank Eric Christie of the Alabama DOT and Beckie Curtis of the Michigan DOT for their tremendous service to the BrM software over the last decade. Their contributions and leadership were vital to the BrM software and they will be greatly missed.
AASHTOWare BrM Mobile Inspection powered by Mayvue
Member Departments and Associate Members wishing to use the AASHTOWare Bridge Mobile Inspection powered by Mayvue can license this application through AASHTO. This is an add-on to the enterprise version of BrM. Please review the FY2024 AASHTOWare Catalog and simply select this product to begin using.
Mayvue also recently announced an SNBI-compatible version of mobile collector. Contact Mayvue to discuss any data sync needs and data configurations. This version will allow inspectors to start collecting or checking SNBI data in the field.
The mobile application enables agencies to conduct inspections via Android and Apple phone or tablet devices remotely. It works offline and online to allow inspectors to collect inspection information without an internet connection. Please reach out to Mayvue or Ryan Fragapane for more information or to request a demonstration for your agency.
2023 BrMUG (Boise, ID)
Please register here for the 2023 Bridge Management User Group (BrMUG) meeting which will be held September 19 – 20, 2023 in Boise, ID. An agenda will be created during the June Task Force meeting and will be shared shortly thereafter. This is a great opportunity to learn about BrM’s strategic direction, and BrM 7.0 progress, and hear from Mayvue and BrM users alike about how BrM meets the ever-evolving needs of agencies.
We are excited to make this user group meeting the best one yet and see everyone in person!
The AASHTOWare Bridge Design and Rating Task Force is pleased to deliver versions 7.3.2 and 7.4.1 of the AASHTOWare Bridge Design (BrD) and AASHTOWare Bridge Rating (BrR) products and the combined Design and Rating product (BrDR).
The following Support Center incidents have been resolved in the 7.3 Maintenance Update 2 (version 7.3.2):
BSSD-4068 Unconservative ‘Distribution Factor-Line Girder’ analysis results for short span lengths
BSSD-4072 Floorbeam bracing issue – incorrect unbraced length is used
BSSD-4089 Unable to Define Floorbeam Members-Floorbeam Member alternative window
BSSD-4102 AASHTO Timber ASD engine beam weight is being doubled for percentage of additional self-weight input
BSSD-4108 Influence surface for shear at support for does not peak at that support
BSSD-4128 For the AASHTO Timber LRFR engine the timber deck LL analysis actions change when additional trucks are included.
The following Support Center incidents have been resolved in the 7.4 Maintenance Update 1 (version 7.4.1):
BSSD-4056 Improper handling of ‘Must consider user input lateral flange bending stresses’ control option for GFS model file created in v7.4
BSSD-4067 Floorbeam LL incorrect in truss systems with more than 2 trusses
BSSD-4068 Unconservative ‘Distribution Factor-Line Girder’ analysis results for short span lengths
BSSD-4072 Floorbeam bracing issue – incorrect unbraced length is used
BSSD-4089 Unable to Define Floorbeam Members-Floorbeam Member alternative window
BSSD-4102 AASHTO Timber ASD engine beam weight is being doubled for percentage of additional self-weight input
BSSD-4108 Influence surface for shear at support for does not peak at that support
BSSD-4128 For the AASHTO Timber LRFR engine the timber deck LL analysis actions change when additional trucks are included.
The appropriate system download package, with Bridge Design, Bridge Rating, or both, is provided in accordance with your AASHTO license agreement. Installation instructions are provided within the AASHTOWare Bridge Startup Guide in the download package. Please uninstall version 7.3.0 and 7.3.1 before installing version 7.3.2 and please uninstall version 7.4.0 before installing version 7.4.1.
For distributed silent install, please contact BrDR@promiles.com for a standalone MSI installer.
Software distribution is processed based on the information the organization provides when the software is licensed. The system download package will be distributed to the organization’s shipping and end user designee. Software distribution will be completed within 7 business days.
The AASHTOWare Bridge Task Force is excited to announce the release of AASHTOWare Bridge Management (BrM) version 6.7. This is the last major release before the overhaul of BrM (version 7.0) to meet the new coding guide requirements as well as improve the product’s framework for sustainability. The Task Force would also like to thank the Beta Testing TAG for all their hard work over the last several months, including traveling to Pittsburgh, PA in February for an onsite beta testing session with Mayvue. All testing and user recommendations to improve this release were invaluable.
This release delivers several high-priority enhancements, user improvements, and bug fixes:
NBI Conversion Profiles – This enhancement was the top-voted user priority for BrM since the 2021 BrMUG. This enhancement separates each bridge component (deck, superstructure, substructure, and culvert) into its own profile, providing the user with more flexibility and control.
Ancillary Assets Module – This module enables agencies to create certain transportation infrastructure asset types and define fields and elements necessary to conduct inspections as well as collect inspection data and multimedia. It provides various other enhancements including permissions, updates to the mapping widget for ancillary assets, adding previous comment control, editing the landing page, and much more. It is noted that the BrM SuperSite license support is limited to bridges, tunnels, dams, and structural roadway appurtenances and does not cover other asset types (e.g., office buildings, pavement, etc.).
Visual Dashboard Editor (VDE) – This tool allows agencies to create dashboards by querying the BrM database and modifying the output to their needs. This provides visual and summary information for all sorts of uses. Additionally, the dashboard responds with counts from the queries and allows the user to open the results in the table below. The 6.7 release comes with an out-of-the-box, default dashboard that is shown below. The Task Force plans to host a webinar covering the setup, querying, and various uses of the dashboard enhancements added in BrM 6.7.
Request for Action (RFA) –Added the Ancillaries > Sign Request for Action task, as well as an RFA landing page to the Admin > General Config > Manage Asset Types task, and added a Request for Action as a context in subfolders in Admin > General Config > Multimedia.
BrM Cookie Setting Updates –BrM 6.7 now allows users to log into more than one instance of BrM at a time.
Configurable Landing Page –Added the ability for a user to configure its landing page by using a selector on the user profile page.
Element Specification –Added a checkbox to allow for setting elements as active/inactive and added a modeling-only checkbox to all for an element to be part of deterioration modeling but prevent it from being selectable in the Element Condition grid.
Bulk Utility Task – BrM 6.7 adds the Analysis > Bulk Utility task to calculate and view the utility value and health index of selected bridges based on a selected weight profile. This was on the user group’s priority list as well.
Various Bug Fixes and Improvements – The full list is supplied with the release notes.
Download BrM 6.7 Now
AASHTOWare BrM 6.7 and supporting documentation are now available for download from ShareFile:
BrM67_Enterprise(64bit).zip – This is the install for BrM Enterprise if you have BrM installed.
BrM67_Workstation.zip – This is the install for BrM Workstation if you do not have BrM installed.
BrM67_Updater.zip – This is for those that already have BrM 6.x installed and want to upgrade to the latest version.
BrM 6.7 Release Video
The enhancements included in this release are highlighted in this video.
Please make sure to read the attached Release Notes and supporting documentation before installing BrM 6.7.Email brm@mayvue.comwith any questions or concerns, or if any issues during the installation process.
The AASHTOWare Bridge Task Force product update is provided to keep all AASHTOWare Bridge Management (BrM) Software users apprised of recent activity related to the development of the software. The Task Force is committed to providing quarterly updates to help improve communication between the Task Force and those interested in the product.
BrM 7.0
Mayvue is working on the BrM 7.0 updates as final details are being defined. Specifically, a meeting with the Database TAG will be occurring in the near term to define the 7.0 database structure. The early 7.0 release is planned for Spring/Summer 2023, at which time the agencies that have contributed the full solicitation amount will receive a test environment where they can see the latest development progress and begin testing. The Mayvue-supplied cloud-hosted environment will be updated as development progress is made until the official 7.0 release is provided to users in 2024. As part of this process, Mayvue will be reaching out to the contributing agencies to define the unique needs associated with the cloud-hosted environments. The Task Force, Mayvue, and the user community alike are excited that this next chapter in the BrM lifecycle is underway. Please reach out to the Task Force members if you have questions.
BrM 6.7 Status Update
BrM 6.7 is fully developed and is currently being beta tested. Members of the Testing TAG traveled to Pittsburgh, PA during the week of February 6th, 2023, to complete testing of the 6.7 release in person with Mayvue. The testing was successful and yielded a few changes before it is ready for official release to the user community. In the meantime, beta testing is continuing at the agency’s offices while Mayvue builds another release for consideration.
As previously discussed, the 6.7 release includes a Dashboard tool that enables agencies to set up, manage, and view a variety of visualizations within BrM. The release also provides a much-anticipated Ancillary Assets module that will enable agencies to set up various (transportation infrastructure specific) asset types and begin collecting inventory and inspection data. An NBI conversion profile enhancement, which was high on the user priority list is provided in the release as well. Finally, Mayvue has added various other features and maintenance fixes since the 6.6 release in July 2022.
BrM 6.7 should be available to the user community in March 2023 and will be the last version 6.X release of BrM. Future releases will use the BrM 7.X platform in support of the new coding guide.
Dashboards – BrM 6.7 Highlight of Coming Functionality
Dashboards have been a highly anticipated addition to the BrM software for several years. This was the highest voted priority for users during the 2021 BrMUG. The 6.7 release will provide a dashboard widget that supplies users with tools to create and modify their visual dashboards within BrM.
User-defined queries pull data from the database into visual dashboards. Agencies can create these dashboards and use the Visual Forms Editor to display specific information on pages of their choice. The release notes will provide users with examples and additional information to quickly generate dashboards, as it requires some setup and querying to be properly handled.
We look forward to seeing the interesting and useful dashboards that users create at the next BrMUG!
Solicitation Update
The Task Force would like to thank the agencies who have contributed to the 7.0 solicitation efforts. These contributions are ensuring the BrM software will meet the new coding guide requirements and take full advantage of the opportunity to create a sustainable product for the next generation. To those who are still working internally to contribute – your support is still needed. We understand this is can be a complicated process and we thank you for the efforts to push this to fruition. If your agency has not contributed, there is still time to do so. Every contribution helps to make the product better and more sustainable. Please reach out to the Task Force, Mayvue, and/or Ryan Fragapane for more information about the benefits and process for contributing.
We are all excited about the result: A new version of the BrM software that meets the new NBIS rules and the ever-growing needs of transportation agencies.
AASHTOWare BrM Mobile Inspection powered by Mayvue
Member Departments and Associate Members wishing to use the AASHTOWare Bridge Mobile Inspection powered by Mayvue can license this application through AASHTO.
This application enables agencies to conduct inspections via Android and Apple phone or tablet devices remotely. It works offline and online to allow inspectors to collect inspection information without an internet connection. Please reach out to Mayvue or Ryan Fragapane for more information or to request a demonstration for your agency.
Save the Date
Please save the date for the 2023 Bridge Management User Group (BrMUG) meeting which will be held September 19 – 20, 2023 in Boise, ID.
