• Location: AP-9 Atlantico Highway (Galicia – Spain) SEE MAP
• Scope of works: Implementation of the system, inventory and structural inspections
• Client: AUDASA, Autopistas del Atlántico Concesionaria Española S.A.
• Date: 2002 – 2003
• Number of structures: 440
• Main feature: Implementation of the Bridge Management System in AUDASA

AUDASA is responsible for operating the AP-9 toll motorway. It is a 219 km long toll motorway from Ferrol to the Northern border of Portugal where it connects with the Portuguese A-3 motorway to Porto and Lisbon. There are several bridges on this motorway but the most important one is The “Puente de Rande” crossing the “Ría de Vigo”.

In order to have some common maintenance criteria for the bridges the implementation of a Bridge Management System was considered in 2001. Structures having a span greater than 2 m were to be included in the system.

Torroja Ingeniería S.L. was selected to implement and develop its own system, the SGPA. The SGPA is software that handles different databases including the inventory data and the inspection results. Easy access to the data, the drawings and to the photographs is provided, either for a single bridge or for a selection of bridges. Using some very powerful filters an efficient and user-friendly interface is achieved.

The system uses the results of the inspections to evaluate the condition of the bridges; a cost estimation of the recommended repair work is also automatically provided by the system. Finally, a prioritization of the repair work is also provided according to different criteria.

The implementation of the Bridge Management System was initiated in 2002; the inventory of all the bridges having a span greater than 2 m was undertaken using the as-built drawings provided by the client. Once the inventory was ready, the inspections were carried out.