INTEC researcher develops application for bridge evaluation in the Dominican Republic
SANTO DOMINGO. – The research professor of Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC), Norberto José Rojas Mercedes, developed an application to inspect the condition of bridges and overpasses in the Dominican Republic, modernizing the management and decision-making processes in road infrastructure.
Rojas Mercedes, a professor in the Engineering Department at INTEC, indicated that the application allows a properly trained inspector to perform a technical evaluation of a bridge directly from a mobile phone, generating information that is integrated into a centralized database, which presents real-time data on the condition of the bridges.
“Through a digital form, the system collects detailed information about the location, structural characteristics, and physical condition of each bridge, including superstructure, substructure, foundations, hydraulic environment, and road functionality,” the expert explained. He maintained that, in this way, the authorities of the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) will be able to identify priorities, plan interventions, and make strategic decisions more quickly and accurately.
When presenting the application to the Commission for the Supervision of Public Infrastructure in the Face of Climate Change, Rojas Mercedes pointed out that one of the main advances of the tool is that it analyzes the condition of the bridge using international standards adapted to the country.
“During the inspection process, technicians can record photographic evidence, automatic geolocation, and multiple structural parameters. Once the evaluation is complete, the system automatically generates a detailed technical report, including analysis, photographic records, and a rating of the bridge's condition,” explained the PhD in Civil Engineering and professor at INTEC.
The Commission is chaired by geologist Osiris de León, and engineer Leonardo Reyes Madera, director of the National Office of Seismic Evaluation and Vulnerability of Infrastructure and Buildings (ONESVIE), is in charge of its executive direction.
The application has been used in a trial phase to evaluate the condition of bridges in Bayaguana and Jarabacoa; in this latter evaluation, members of the Commission for the Supervision of Public Infrastructure in the Face of Climate Change and the MOPC participated as a way of socializing the tool.
As part of the next phase of the project, the approximately 2,500 existing bridges in the country will be progressively assessed. This will allow for the creation of a national database with up-to-date information on bridge types, structural conditions, and intervention priority levels.
The application created by the INTEC researcher is one of the results of the research project “Seismic Vulnerability of Bridges in the Process of Aging in the Dominican Republic”, developed with resources granted by the National Fund for Innovation and Scientific and Technological Development (Fondocyt) of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology.
The researcher asserted that the tool represents a significant step toward more efficient and preventative management of the country's road infrastructure, enabling the scientifically based identification of risks, maintenance planning, and optimization of public investment. This will improve the safety of the structures that comprise the national transportation network.
The development of the application was made possible thanks to the joint work of a technical team led by Rojas Mercedes and engineers Emmanuel De ÓLeo Montero and Johanny Pérez Muñoz, who provided key support in the design and implementation process of the tool.