The hidden crisis: Developing smart big data pipelines to address grand challenges of bridge infrastructure health in the United States

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Report Card for America’s Infrastructure gave bridges a C+ (mediocre) grade in 2017. Approximately, 1 in 5 rural bridges are in critical condition, which presents serious challenges to public safety and economic growth. Fortunately, during a series of workshops on this topic organized by the authors, it has become clear that Big Data could provide a timely solution to these critical problems. In this work in progress paper we describe a conceptual framework for developing SMart big data pipelines for Aging Rural bridge Transportation Infrastructure (SMARTI). Our framework and associated research questions are organized around four focus areas: • Next-Generation Health Monitoring: Sensors; Unmanned Aerial Vehicle/System (UAV/UAS); wireless networks • Data Management: Data security and quality; intellectual property; standards and shared best practices; curation • Decision Support Systems: Analysis and modeling; data analytics; decision making; visualization, • Socio-Technological Impact: Policy; societal, economic and environmental impact; disaster and crisis management.