BMS and BIM: the Portuguese Scenario

Considering the preparation of Europe´s near future, two major concepts are mandatory: digitalization and climate change adaptation. In the particular context of bridge management, any future development should also take these two concepts into account. Hence, the existing Bridge Management Systems (BMS) should be upgraded to allow considering the effects of ongoing climate changes, on one hand, and the digital transition expected for the next years, on the other hand. The latter aspect is discussed in the present paper.The first step to prepare BMS digital transition consists of the screening of its current status and definition of requirements. Regarding the digitalization methodology, Building Information Modelling (BIM) is the way to go. Several efforts are undergoing worldwide to foster the process of BMS digitalization.The present paper aims at contributing to the BMS and BIM integration by presenting the Portuguese current status. Existing trends, but also gaps, are highlighted. In addition, ideas for a faster and yet sustainable transition are provided.