BRIGADE Bridge Analysis Software

BRIGADE is an indispensable tool for companies involved in bridge design. The development of BRIGADE has focused on enhancing workflow, features, and result reporting. This emphasis is particularly evident in its handling of moving loads and load combinations according to design codes. These features are highly valued by engineers, whether designing a simple single-span bridge or a more aesthetically or structurally complex bridge.

Load rating is key to keeping bridges safe, functional, and efficient to maintain. By understanding actual capacity, engineers can make informed decisions on repairs, strengthening, or reclassification – often avoiding unnecessary work.

Accurate traffic load management is central to this process. BRIGADE’s powerful tools for modeling moving loads and load combinations give the users the ability to perform these checks efficiently and with confidence. Users can decide to either use the standard load models included or create their own custom vehicles. This results in trusted load ratings and smarter infrastructure decisions.

When structural damage on a bridge is detected – cracks, corrosion, settlement, or fatigue – an accurate assessment of the bridge’s condition is crucial. BRIGADE/Plus helps engineers evaluate how damage affects a bridge’s performance and load-carrying capacity. With BRIGADE/Plus, you can modify geometry, reduce stiffness in critical members, or remove damaged components entirely – all within a powerful FE environment.

This allows you to simulate realistic scenarios and understand residual capacity after damage. You can use linear analyses or non-linear analyses, including nonlinear materials, nonlinear geometry (buckling), and contacts. This results in confident decision-making and optimized resource use when your structure needs it most.

In most bridge projects, dynamic effects are handled using dynamic magnification factors from design standards like the Eurocodes. But when it comes to high-speed rail, that’s not enough. Resonance effects can cause excessive vibrations or displacements – and only real dynamic simulations can capture this behavior accurately.

With BRIGADE/Plus, you can perform full dynamic analyses that consider the dynamic effects of moving loads from high-speed trains. Whether you’re assessing resonance risk, critical speeds, or damping effects, BRIGADE/Plus gives you the precision you need. Engineers also rely on BRIGADE/Plus to simulate other transient loads, such as wind and seismic events – helping ensure both safety and compliance with relevant standards.

While BRIGADE is built for bridges, its powerful analysis engine is just as effective for a wide range of civil and structural engineering tasks. From tunnels, retaining walls, and foundations to tanks, slabs, and custom steel or concrete structures, BRIGADE/Plus gives you the flexibility to model and simulate complex geometries and loading scenarios with ease.

With BRIGADE/Plus, you’re not locked into bridge-specific templates. You can build exactly what your project requires – and still benefit from the same robust solvers and clear result presentation. BRIGADE/Plus provides a single solution for all your structural analysis needs, whether you’re working above or below ground, inside or outside the bridge domain.