Author: Sharanya Rao

The Bridge Design and Rating Newsletter is available online!

Read about all of this in the March 2025 Newsletter.

• BrDR 7.6 Release Learning Resources
• BrDR 7.6 New Features and Enhancements Webinar
• BrDR 7.7 and 7.8 New Features and Enhancements in the Works
• BrDR TAG Chair and Vice Chair Appointment and the New Joint BrDR and BrM TAG 
• 2024 RADBUG Large Enhancement Survey Results
• Registration is Open! 2025 AASHTOWare Rating and Design User Group (RADBUG) Meeting
• 2025 AASHTOWare Connect

Check out the following technical notes posted on the AASHTOWare BrDR Technical Support website at https://aashtowarebrdr.org/ on February 4, 2025. To access BrDR Technical Notes, navigate to the Bridge Design and Rating menu at the top, select Technical Notes from the menu, and login using brdr.

• Technical Note 44 – Update 2: Typographical error in the historical steel shapes file, “OldRolledShapes.brlx” – Certain data fields in the “old rolled shapes.xml” file or the ‘OldRolledShapes.brlx’ library file delivered with BrDR contain incorrect values. Imported steel shapes from this file into the library should have these values corrected. This affects BrD, BrR, and BrDR. See Technical Note 44 – Update 2 (Typographical error in the historical steel shape file, “OldRolledShapes.brlx”)) for more information.
• Technical Note 83: Potentially Incorrect Distribution Factor-Line Girder Analysis Results When Adjacent Lane Vehicle Used – For a ‘Distribution Factor-Line Girder’ (DF-LG) analysis type, if the vehicle name assigned to the ‘Adjacent lane vehicle’ category is alphanumerically in advance of the primary vehicle name, the adjacent lane vehicle is used as the primary vehicle, and no adjacent vehicle is considered in the analysis. This affects BrDR and BrR, versions 7.0 to 7.6. The workaround is to use a vehicle name for the ‘Adjacent lane vehicle’ that alphanumerically follows the ‘Primary’ vehicle name. This issue will be corrected in version 7.7. See Technical Note 83 (Potentially Incorrect Distribution Factor-Line Girder Analysis Results When Adjacent Lane Vehicle Used)) for more information.
• Technical Note 84: All Rating Vehicles May Not Be Processed if AASHTO LRFR Specification is Overridden For Stringers or Floorbeam Members – If the AASHTO LRFR specification is overridden for stringer or floorbeam members and at least one vehicle is included in the ‘Permit load rating’ category, the program may not process load rating results for all vehicles. This affects BrDR and BrR, version 7.6. The workaround is to use the ‘System Default’ AASHTO LRFR specification. This issue will be corrected in version 7.7. See Technical Note 84 (All Rating Vehicles May Not Be Processed if AASHTO LRFR Specification is Overridden For Stringer or Floorbeam Members) for more information.

Please direct any questions to AASHTOWare Bridge Design and Rating Technical Support at BrDR@promiles.com.

The AASHTOWare Bridge Design and Rating 7.6.0 Release distribution has been completed. The distribution was processed based on the information the organization provides when the software is licensed. The 7.6.0 release download package, with Bridge Design (BrD), Bridge Rating (BrR), or the combined Bridge Design and Rating (BrDR), was distributed to the organization’s shipping and end-user designee.

The 7.6.0 release adds the following capabilities and features:
Click on the links below to directly access the learning resources and tutorials posted on the AASHTOWare BrDR Technical Support website’s Training page at https://aashtowarebrdr.org/bridge-rating-and-design/training/.

• AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications updates (10th Edition)
  (Open 3D FEM Analysis Tutorial | Axial Rigidity Coefficient Example PDF file)
  (Open Steel Tutorial | STL16 – LRFD 10th Edition Spec Update – Lateral Torsional | Buckling Example PDF file)
• AASHTO Manual for Bridge Evaluation updates (3rd Edition, 2024 Interim Revisions)
  (Open Feature Tutorial | MBE 2024 Spec Interim Update – Permit Rating Example PDF file)
  (Open Truss Tutorial | Truss Gusset Plate Example PDF file)
• New LRFR control option for compact web section Cb calculation using AISC Article F1 commentary
• New Bridge Workspace windows for entering points of interest along the webs of standard and advanced concrete multi-cell box superstructures
• Analysis Results Comparison (ARC) Tool Usability Improvements
  (Open Feature Tutorial | Analysis Results Comparison (ARC) Tool 2.0 Tutorial PDF file)
• Top voted RADBUG enhancements
  • BSSD-1852 Automatically Calculate Flange Effective Width
  • BSSD-2782 Saved Print Settings in BrDR
  • BSSD-2828 Bottom Flange Lateral Support Location
  • BSSD-3289 Bent Reinforcement Bar for RC Culvert Slabs and Walls (Open Culvert Tutorial | CVT1 – Two RC Box Culvert Example (and Culvert Design Tool) PDF file)
  • BSSD-3454 Enhance Rating Tool API Scenarios Functionality (Open Load Rating Tool Tutorial | LRT1 – Load Rating Tool Example PDF file)
  • BSSD-3707 Steel Cover Plate Development Length
• BrDR development migration to the .NET 8 software development platform
• 182 resolved BSSD issues

Special Notes:

• 7.6.0 comes with SQL Server 2022 Express. You do not need to uninstall SQL Server 2019 prior to installing 7.6.0
• Technical Note 82: Negative Zero Reported in Certain Scenarios – With the upgrade to .NET 8.0, floating point values may display as -0.0 instead of 0.0 in version 7.6 and onwards due to changes in the IEEE standard. This affects BrDR, BrD, BrR, PSDT, SDT and ARC Tool (included with BrDR/BrD/BrR). Future releases will update these applications to display negative zero values as 0.0. See Technical Note 82 (Negative Zero Reported in Certain Scenarios) for more information.

Please direct any questions to AASHTOWare Bridge Design and Rating Technical Support at BrDR@promiles.com.

The Bridge Design and Rating Newsletter is available online!

Read about all of this in the December 2024 Newsletter.

• AASHTOWare Bridge Design and Rating (BrDR) 7.6 – New Features and Enhancements
• 2024 Top 10 RADBUG Enhancements
• New BrDR How – To Install Video
• Don’t miss next month’s Using the BrDR/BrM Data Exchange Feature at Alabama DOT webinar! 
• Have you visited the NEW AASHTOWare BrDR and BrM websites?
• Save the Date for the 2025 RADBUG!

The Bridge Design and Rating Newsletter is available online!

Read about all of this in the September 2024 Newsletter.

• BrDR has launched a new website! Update your bookmark!
• Igor Chernioglo wins Prismatic Legacy Award!
• BrDR Spotlight – Illinois Department of Transportation
• Welcome to the new BrDR Task Force Member – Yihong Gao, Minnesota DOT
• BrDR 7.6 Beta Testing Kickoff

The Bridge Design and Rating Newsletter is available online!

Read about all of this in the June 2024 Newsletter.

• BrDR Spotlight – Ohio Department of Transportation
• Mark your calendar for the Next Generation of the BrDR Reporting Tool webinar!
• Introducing AASHTOWare PermitRoute
• AASHTOWare Bridge Design and Rating (BrDR) Version Support Policy
• 2024 Rating and Design Bridge User Group (RADBUG) Meeting
• Join a BrDR Technical Advisory Group (TAG)!