Bridge design software products are constantly advancing. These bridge software products are designed to make quality bridges or improving older ones efficient and affordable.

In response to an open invitation from Structural Engineering & Design magazine, a number of companies provided the following information about their products. Company web addresses are provided for immediate access to additional information. To participate in Structural Engineering & Design Specifiers Guides, visit www.gostructural.com/specguide

ADAPT Corporation’s (www.adaptsoft.com) ADAPT-ABI is software developed specifically for the analysis, design, and construction phase support of any concrete bridge: segmental construction, cable-stayed, precast, pre- and post-tensioned, box girder, and simply supported (continuous) spliced girders. The software carries out complete bridge design including construction phase, in-service, and safety checks.

Extreme Loading for Structures from Applied Science International, LLC (www.appliedscienceint.com) is advanced non-linear structural analysis software designed for structural engineers to easily analyze static and dynamic loads like blast, seismic events, impact, progressive collapse, and wind. Features include automatic element connectivity, plastic hinges, cracking, yielding of reinforcement, buckling/post-buckling, three hinged mechanism, membrane action, and P-delta effect.

Autodesk (www.autodesk.com) Revit Structure 2010 software offers building information modeling (BIM) to structural engineering firms, delivering a coordinated and reliable model for efficient and accurate design and documentation. Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Pro - Autodesk Robot Structural Analysis Professional 2010 software is a collaborative application that extends BIM for structural engineering with analysis capabilities for buildings, bridges, and civil and specialty structures. Seamlessly analyze your complex domestic and international projects with a comprehensive library of design codes.

Bentley Systems Inc. (www.bentley.com/bridges) provides a lifecycle bridge engineering solution that supports bridge information modeling (BrIM) — an innovative approach to bridge engineering, project delivery, and operations. RM Bridge, LEAP Bridge, LARS Bridge, and Bentley Rebar address bridge design, analysis, construction engineering, load rating, and concrete detailing. The software also offers automated plans production.

Computer & Structures, Inc.’s (www.csiberkely.com) SAP2000 Bridge Design software automates the most complex and time consuming tasks associated with bridge engineering with its parametric modeling capabilities. Its nonlinear and geometric and material options make it powerful enough to handle advanced construction techniques, while the friendly Bridge Wizard guides the user through every step of the process.

Cordeck’s (www.cordeck.com) cellular metal deck systems work with the steel framing and provide in-floor wire management of wires and cables in structural steel buildings while meeting UL floor ratings. Cordeck provides the complete system including the cellular deck, trench headers, insert boxes, and service fittings. Cordeck also provides engineering assistance including layout, trench calculations, and shear stud layout.

Multiframe from Daystar Software, Inc. (www.daystarsoftware.com) provides linear and non-linear analysis along with a full range of modeling tools including 3D drawing, plates, tension/compression only members, dynamic analysis and much more. Other modules allow you to perform design checks for a wide range of design codes.

GTSTRUDL (www.gtstrudl.gatech.edu) offers comprehensive linear,nonlinear, static, and dynamic analysis features for frame and finite element structures including moving load generation, response spectrum, transient, and pushover analyses. The software models plastic hinges, discrete dampers, tension and compression-only members, nonlinear connections, as well as has graphical modeling and result display capabilities and specialized functions for the analysis and design of cable stayed and suspension bridges.

The implementation of Hughes Brothers, Inc.’s (www.hughesbros.com) Aslan 100 Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer or GFRP Rebar is now possible using the newly released AASTTO LRFD Bridge Design Guide Specifications for GFRP reinforced Bridge Decks and Traffic Railings. Bridge decks built using this latest proven technology eliminate the possibility of corrosion of the rebar in the deck.

Interactive Design Systems (www.ids-soft.com) develops and markets three software products for bridge design and analysis: Bridge Designer II(BD2) for 2-D structural design analysis, BD3 for 3-D structural design analysis, and MC3D for bridge construction and geometry control. These products are created for designers of concrete and composite bridges.

LUSAS Bridge (www.lusas.com) is used worldwide for analysis, design and load rating of all bridge types. The Dubai Metro light rail project saw LUSAS used for seismic analysis of concrete viaduct structures, the analysis of numerous steel truss footbridges and for rail - structure interaction modeling to the UIC 773-4 code.

Curved and straight steel bridge girder design and rating software MDX Software (www.mdxsoftware.com) meets AASHTO specifications (LRFD, ASD, LFD). The software package is actively maintained and enhanced to provide valuable information to users.

MIDASoft, Inc.’s (en.midasuser.com) Midas Civil 2010 is bridge design and analysis software for curved/straight girder, composite, segmental post-tensioning, suspension, cable-stayed, skewed slab, frame, arch, and culvert bridges with live load optimizers. Midas Civil is continuously enhanced to be fast, user-friendly, and equipped with innovative graphic components and bridge engineering-specific capabilities.

Bridge engineering software titles from Opti-Mate, Inc. (www.opti-mate.com) include: Merlin Dash for steel and prestressed concrete; Descus I and II for curved steel bridges; TRAP for trusses and SABRE for sign structures.

Expand your client list with POSTEN Multistory (www.postensoft.com), an efficient and comprehensive post-tensioned concrete software. The software is specifically designed to produce sustainable designs with automatic documentation of material savings for LEED certification while enabling creativity and reducing construction and design costs.

With RISA-3D’s versatile modeling environment and intuitive graphic interface you can model any structure from bridges to buildings in just minutes. The RISA Technologies (www.risa.com) product includes advanced features such as moving loads, dynamic analysis, and more than 40 design codes.