TOWARDS SMART INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT: A DIGITALIZED FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE INSPECTION, MAINTENANCE, AND REHABILITATION OF BRIDGE STRUCTURE USING INTEGRATED BIM, WEB SERVERS, AND QR-CODE TECHNOLOGIES — A CASE STUDY OF LONDON BRIDGE

Abstract

Bridge infrastructures represent critical assets within urban transportation networks, yet their long-term performance and safety are increasingly threatened by aging materials, environmental degradation, and inadequate maintenance strategies. Traditional inspection and rehabilitation methods remain largely manual, fragmented, and reactive, often resulting in high operational costs, data redundancy, and delayed interventions. To overcome these limitations, this study proposes a digitalized framework for smart infrastructure management, integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM), web-based platforms, and QR-code technologies for sustainable inspection, maintenance, and rehabilitation (IMR) of bridge structures. The framework is validated through a comprehensive case study of the London Bridge, demonstrating how digital transformation can enhance operational transparency, data accessibility, and decision intelligence across the asset lifecycle. The proposed system establishes a three-tier digital architecture comprising a data acquisition layer, a web server–based information management layer, and a BIM-driven visualization and analytics layer. Inspection personnel utilize QR-coded bridge components for rapid, on-site data retrieval and entry through mobile interfaces, seamlessly linked to a centralized web database. The BIM model serves as a dynamic digital twin, integrating real-time condition data, maintenance logs, and structural metadata to support predictive analytics and sustainability assessments. The web-based dashboard facilitates multi-user collaboration, enabling engineers, asset managers, and decision-makers to monitor inspection records, schedule interventions, and evaluate performance indicators through an interactive, cloud-enabled interface. The London Bridge case study illustrates the system’s capacity to reduce inspection time by 40%, minimize data redundancy, and enhance maintenance planning efficiency through synchronized information flows. Moreover, integrating QR-code tagging into the BIM environment improves traceability and lifecycle documentation, ensuring compliance with modern asset management standards such as ISO 19650. The framework aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by promoting resilient and data-driven maintenance practices that extend infrastructure lifespan and reduce environmental impacts. Overall, this research demonstrates that the convergence of BIM, web technologies, and QR-code–enabled field operations can revolutionize bridge asset management, shifting from reactive maintenance to proactive, intelligence-driven infrastructure stewardship. The developed model offers a scalable pathway toward Smart Infrastructure Management Systems (SIMS) applicable to bridges and other civil structures worldwide.